IIIIIIIIIII 


THE 


MUTINEEES  OF  THE  BOUNTY 

AND   THEIR 

DESCENDANTS  IN 

PITCAIRN  AND  NORFOLK  ISLANDS. 

By  LADY  BELCHER. 

WITH  MAP  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


pi  CtiXattt* 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN      SQUARE. 
l87l. 


ir* 


^^ 


PREFACE 


A  period  of  thirty-nine  years  has  elapsed  since  the 
appearance  of  a  little  volume  entitled  "The  Mutiny  of 
the  Bounty,"  which  formed  one  of  the  series  of  the 
"Family  Library."  The  work  was  favorably  received; 
but  did  not  contain  all  the  information  which  might 
have  been  afforded.  It  was  written  by  the  late  Sir 
John  Barrow,  then  Secretary  at  the  Admiralty,  prin- 
cipally from  papers  which  a  mutual  friend  requested 
might  be  placed  at  his  disposal  by  the  late  Mrs.  Hey- 
wood,  widow  of  Captain  Peter  Hey  wood,  E.N.,  who  had 
been  one  of  the  midshipmen  in  the  Bounty. 

An  accidental  circumstance,  and  the  possession  of  a 
variety  of  private  documents  on  the  subject,  have  in- 
duced the  writer  to  lay  before  the  public  what  she  ven- 
tures to  believe  will  be  found  to  be  a  more  connected 
and  impartial  narrative.  Many  details  have  come  to 
her  knowledge  from  personal  sources  and  from  family 
manuscripts  to  which  she  has  had  access,  in  conse- 
quence of  being  the  step-daughter  of  Captain  Hey  wood. 
Among  the  documents  which  she  is  thus  enabled  to 


6  PREFACE. 

publish  is  the  diary  of  James  Morrison,  one  of  the  petty 
officers  of  the  Bounty,  and  some  additional  correspond- 
ence between  Peter  Heywood  and  his  relatives. 

The  principal  materials  for  the  history  of  the  descend- 
ants of  the  mutineers  during  the  later  years  of  their  resi- 
dence in  Pitcairn  Island  have  been  furnished  through 
the  kindness  of  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  K.C.B. 
From  these,  and  from  letters  communicated  by  other 
friends,  the  writer  is  also  enabled  to  give  an  account  of 
the  position  and  welfare  of  the  Pitcairn  colony  since  its 
removal  to  Norfolk  Island,  and  to  continue  the  history 
down  to  the  present  year.  Among  the  letters  will  be 
found  several  of  much  interest  from  their  worthy  pastor, 
the  Kev.  G.  H.  Nobbs,  from  Captain  Wood,  K.N.,  con- 
tributed by  his  brother,  the  Eev.  J.  G.  Wood,  and  a 
variety  of  others  hitherto  unpublished. 

Many  acknowledgments  are  due  to  friends  for  the  use 
of  photographs  and  drawings,  and  for  their  valuable  sug- 
gestions during  the  progress  of  this  work. 

London,  October  21st,  1870. 


CONTENTS. 


Part  I. 

CHAPTER  i. 

Geographical  Researches  in  the  South  Seas. — Discovery  of  Otaheite. — 
Object  of  the  Commission  of  the  Bounty. — Introductory  Notices  of  her 
Officers  :  Lieutenant  Bligh. — Fletcher  Christian. — George  Stewart. — 
Peter  Heywood Page  13 

CHAPTER  II. 

Departure  of  the  Bounty. — Voyage. — Arrival  at  Tahiti,  and  sailing  from 
thence  to  the  West  Indies 25 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Mutiny. — Dismissal  of  Lieutenant  Bligh. — Fletcher  Christian  in  Com- 
mand.— The  Bounty  sails  for  the  Island  of  Toubouai. — Dissensions. — 
Return  to  Tahiti. — Departure  of  Fletcher  Christian  with  eight  English- 
men and  some  Tahitian  Men  and  Women 40 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Lieutenant  Bligh's  Boat -voyage. — Arrival  in  England. — Correspond- 
ence.— H.M.S.  Pandora  dispatched  to  Tahiti 57 

CHAPTER  V. 

Proceedings  of  the  Officers  and  Crew  who  separated  from  Fletcher  Chris- 
tian.— The  Schooner  Resolution  built. — Arrival  of  the  Pandora. — Suf- 
ferings of  the  Prisoners. — Shipwreck. — Privations  on  the  Boat- voyage. 
— Reach  Batavia. — Return  to  England 70 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Consequences  of  the  Mutiny. — Correspondence  previous  to  the  Court- 
martial 97 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Court-martial. — Correspondence  of  Members  of  Peter  Hey  wood's  Family. 
— Acquittal  of  some  of  the  Crew. — Pardon  of  Peter  Hey  wood  and 
James  Morrison. — Execution  of  two  Prisoners. — Subsequent  Career  of 
Captain  Bligh  and  other  Officers  of  the  Bounty. — Death  of  Miss  Nessy 
Heywood Page  117 


Part  II. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Position  of  the  Mutineers. — Arrival  at  Pitcairn  Island. — Destruction  of 
the  Bounty. — Death  of  Fletcher  Christian,  Edward  Young,  and  others. 
— Alexander  Smith  (John  Adams)  sole  Survivor 153 

CHAPTER  II. 

Discovery  of  the  Retreat  of  the  Mutineers. — Visits  of  Captain  Folger  and 
others. — Arrival  of  John  Buffett. — John  Evans. — G.  H.  Nobbs. — Death 
of  John  Adams 161 

CHAPTER  III. 

George  Hunn  Nobbs  succeeds  John  Adams  as  Pastor  of  Pitcairn  Island. 
— Emigration  to  Tahiti.— Return. — Arrival  of  Joshua  Hill. — Arbitrary 
Proceedings.  — Joshua  Hill  removed  from  Pitcairn 178 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Ships  of  War  visit  Pitcairn. — Letter  of  Captain  Wood,  R.N. — Arrival 
of  Baron  Thierry  and  others. — Aboriginal  Inhabitants  of  Pitcairn 
Island 196 

CHAPTER  V. 

Arrival  of  Rear-admiral  Fairfax  Moresby. — H.M.S.  Portland  at  Pitcairn 
Island. — Mr.  Nobbs  proceeds  to  England. — His  Ordination  as  Chap- 
lain.— Return  to  Pitcairn. — Death  of  Reuben  Nobbs 218 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Removal  of  the  Pitcairn  Islanders  to  Norfolk  Island. — Directions  of  his 
Excellency,  Sir  William  Denison,  K.C.B.,  respecting  Allotments  of 
Land. — Correspondence. — Voyage. — Arrival  at  Norfolk  Island. — Re- 
ception by  Captain  Denham,  H.M.S.  Herald. — Visit  of  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Selwyn,  and  of  the  Rev.  G.  N.  Patteson., 249 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
Correspondence  of  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  with  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby, 
K.C.B.,  relative  to  Norfolk  Island  and  the  Whale-fishery. — Visit  of 
His  Excellency  Sir  "William  Denison. — His  Opinion  of  the  Pitcairn 
People. — Directions  relative  to  Live-stock,  and  the  Cultivation  of  Land. 
— Letter  from  Jane  Nobbs. — Visit  of  Sir  John  Young. — Bishop  Patte- 
son  attacked  by  the  Natives  of  Santa  Cruz. — Massacre  of  Fisher  Young 
and  Edwin  Nobbs Page  284 

CHAPTER  VEIL 

Establishment  of  the  Melanesian  Mission  College  on  Norfolk  Island. — 
Letters  from  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand,  Sir  William  Denison,  Sir  John 
Young,  etc.,  etc 309 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Privations  of  the  Pitcairn  Colony. — Remarkable  Whaling-adventure. — 
Progress  of  the  Melanesian  Mission  and  College  on  Norfolk  Island. — 
Account  of  the  Families  who  returned  to  Pitcairn  Island,  by  Captain 
Montresor,  R.N.,  and  Sir  Wentworth  Dilke 331 

Appendix  A 365 

Appendix  B 373 

1* 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Part  I. 

Bounty  Bay,  Pitcairn  Island,  drawn  ) 

by  Captain  Beechey,  RN j   Frontispiece. 

General  Chart  (Southern  Ocean),  Captain  Becher,  R.  N 24 

Destruction   of  H.M.S.  Pandora, 
Daybreak,  August  29,  1791 

On  a  Sandy  Islet,  Noon,  August  29, 
1791,  drawn  by  P.  Heywood 


109 


Part  II. 


Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs 179 

Maria  Christian,  Ellen  Quintal,  and  Sarah  M  'Koy 227 

Landing-place  (Sydney  Bay),  Norfolk  Island 263 

Pitcairn  Settlement  (Sydney  Bay),  Norfolk  Island 275 

Interior  of  Norfolk  Island , , 288 

Naomi  Nobbs  and  Jane  Nobbs 296 


Library, 
THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY, 

AND  THEIR  DESCENDANTS 

IN  PITCAIRN  AND  NORFOLK  ISLANDS. 


PART   FIRST. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Geographical  Researches  in  the  South  Seas. — Discovery  of  Otaheite. — 
Object  of  the  Commission  of  the  Bounty. — Introductory  Notices  of  her 
Officers  :  Lieutenant  Bligh. — Fletcher  Christian. — George  Stewart. — 
Peter  Heywood.  4 

The  termination  of  a  long  French  war  by  the  Treaty 
of  Paris  in  1763  was  hailed  with  universal  satisfaction. 
Weary  of  the  toils  and  burdens  of  warlike  enterprise,  men 
were  anxious  to  turn  their  minds  to  the  arts  of  peace,  and 
England  was  foremost  among  the  nations  in  a  desire  to 
promote  the  interests  of  science  and  commerce.  The  pros- 
ecution of  maritime  discovery  was  especially  adapted  to 
the  genius  of  her  people,  and  the  King,  George  III.,  who 
had  just  succeeded  to  the  throne,  encouraged  the  equip- 
ment of  expeditions  which  had  for  their  object  the  ad- 
vancement of  geography.  He  had  himself  acquired  con- 
siderable proficiency  in  this  his  favorite  study,  and  pos- 
sessed a  large  and  valuable  collection  of  maps  and  charts 
— the  best  that  existed  one  hundred  years  ago.  They 
would,  however,  have  formed  a  singular  contrast  to  those 
of  the  present  day ;  not  only  were  the  Polar  regions  left 


14  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

in  blank  space,  but  also  the  vast  and  as  yet  unexplored 
Southern  Ocean. 

Some  progress  had  nevertheless  been  made  by  Ferdi- 
nand Magelhaens  (the  Portuguese  navigator,  commonly 
known  as  Magellan),  who  had  in  1520  shown  the  road  into 
the  great  Southern  Ocean  by  the  strait  which  bears  his 
name.  He  had  also  bestowed  upon  it  its  present  appella- 
tion of  the  Pacific,  not  so  much  from  its  general  character, 
as  from  his  own  favorable  impressions  while  sailing  calmly 
over  it  with  the  wind  abaft  the  beam.  But  no  further  ad- 
vance was  made  in  this  direction  until,  in  the  early  part  of 
the  17th  century,  Quiros,  the  Spanish  navigator,  promul- 
gated the  opinion  (which  seems  to  have  been  generally 
adopted)  that  there  must  be  more  land  in  that  ocean  than 
appeared  marked  upon  the  charts.  A  desire  of  proving  the 
truth  of  such  surmises,  and  the  hope  of  making  some  val- 
uable commercial  discovery,  led  to  a  series  of  expeditions 
being  sent  out  from  Europe,  in  which  England,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  then  young  monarch,  took  a  prominent  part. 

The  first  of  these  was  commanded  by  Commodore  By- 
ron, who  circumnavigated  the  globe.  Then  Wallis,  sec- 
onded by  Carteret,  left  England  in  the  summer  of  1762, 
and  touching  at  various  points  on  the  South  American 
coast,  cleared  the  Strait  of  Magellan  in  April  of  the  follow- 
ing year,  but  was  then  separated  from  his  companion,  Car- 
teret. Pursuing  his  course  in  a  north-westerly  direction, 
he  discovered  several  small  islands ;  assigned  names  to 
them ;  and  unexpectedly  arrived  at  Otaheite,  unknown  un- 
til that  period,  but  which  was  destined  to  form  an  impor- 
tant scene  in  the  history  about  to  be  narrated.  Some  lit- 
tle delay,  arising  mostly  from  foggy  weather,  prevented 
Wallis  from  finding  an  anchorage  at  this  island  until  the 
day  after  his  arrival,  when  our  navigator  was  surprised  at 
the  number  and  large  size  of  the  canoes  by  which  his  ship, 


EAMLY  VOYAGES  TO  TEE  SOUTH  SEA.  15 

the  Dolphin,  was  surrounded.  Her  arrival  at  Otaheite  oc- 
casioned much  astonishment  among  the  islanders,  from  the 
simple  circumstance  that  she  was  the  realization  of  the 
prophecy  of  one  of  their  sages.  This  person  had  foretold 
that  in  some  future  age  "  a  canoe  without  out-riggers 
would  come  to  their  shores."  These  appendages,  it  is  well 
known,  are  essential  to  keeping  the  canoes  upright  when 
pressed  over  by  the  sail.  Here,  then,  was  a  fulfillment  of 
this  prophecy  before  them ;  still  it  was  not  until  after  the 
hostility  of  these  natives  had  been  checked  by  the  ship's 
artillery  that  overtures  of  peace  were  exchanged,  and  traf- 
fic was  happily  established  between  them  and  the  Dolphin. 
Matters  being  arranged,  Captain  Wallis  then  landed,  and 
with  great  state  and  ceremony  took  possession  of  the  isl- 
and for  his  sovereign,  changing  its  name  to  "  King  George's 
Island,"  while  for  "  Maatavaye  Bay,"  in  which  the  ship 
was  lying,  he  substituted  "Port  Royal."  These  names, 
however,  were  soon  to  be  replaced  by  those  originally 
given  by  the  natives.  After  discovering  some  few  other 
small  islands,  the  Dolphin  with  Captain  Wallis  returned 
to  the  Downs  in  May,  1768. 

Meanwhile,  Captain  Carteret,  in  the  Swallow,  which  had 
been  separated  from  the  Dolphin  by  stress  of  weather  at 
the  western  entrance  of  Magellan  Strait,  had  pursued  his 
course  to  the  northward.  The  Swallow  thus  discovered 
the  little  island  of  Mas-a-fuera,  where  she  obtained  water. 
From  thence  Captain  Carteret  looked  unsuccessfully  for 
Easter  Island,  far  away  in  the  west,  but  soon  afterwards 
unexpectedly  observed  what  appeared  to  him  as  a  great 
rock  rising  out  of  the  sea.  To  this  rock  he  gave  the  name 
of  Pitcairn,  little  dreaming  how  interesting  it  was  to  be- 
come in  subsequent  maritime  history.  We  need  not  follow 
Carteret  farther,  observing  only  that  he  arrived  at  Spit- 
head  in  March,  1769. 


16  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Captain  Cook,  on  his  three  voyages  of  discovery,  visited 
Otaheite*  on  four  different  occasions,  and  he  confirmed,  on 
his  return  to  England,  all  that  Wallis  had  stated  concern- 
ing the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  island,  as  also  the  gentle 
and  amiable  character  of  its  inhabitants.  The  bread-fruit 
tree  had  also  especially  attracted  his  attention  as  a  staple 
article  of  food,  inasmuch  as  it  was  very  productive  and 
continued  in  bearing  for  eight  months  in  the  year. 

Little  notice  was  then  taken  of  his  observations  on  the 
subject  of  the  bread-fruit,  but  seventeen  years  afterwards, 
the  idea  occurred  to  some  of  our  West  Indian  merchants 
that  it  might  prove  a  valuable  addition  to  the  food  of  the 
negroes  on  their  plantations.!  The  desirability  of  attempt- 
ing to  introduce  these  trees  into  the  West  Indies  was  sug- 
gested to  the  Government,  and  the  enterprise  received  from 
the  king  the  patronage  and  encouragement  it  deserved. 

Instructions  were  accordingly  issued  to  Mr.  (afterwards 
Sir  Joseph)  Banks, J — who,  having  sailed  with  Captain  Cook 


*  It  may  here  be  observed  that  the  name  he  gave  it  originated  in  a  mis- 
conception, for  the  letter  "O"  in  the  native  dialect  is  equivalent  to  the 
English  word  "of."  Thus,  when  any  of  the  islanders  was  asked  to  what 
place  he  belonged,  he  would  reply,  "O'Tahiti,"  i.  e.,  "of  Tahiti."  This 
was  explained  in  the  vocabulary  of  the  Tahitian  language  written  by  Peter 
Hey  wood,  and  presented  by  him  to  the  Missionary  Society  in  1792. 

t  The  bread-fruit  tree  is  a  native  of  the  tropics,  and  although  we  have  a 
few  specimens  of  it,  it  is  with  difficulty  kept  alive  by  artificial  heat  in  Eng- 
land. The  tree  grows  to  the  height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet,  and  its  leaves 
are  so  large  that  the  natives  of  the  Molucca  Islands  use  them  as  table- 
cloths. The  fruit  is  of  the  size  of  a  small  melon,  and  constantly  in  season. 
Its  flavor  is  said  to  be  like  that  of  the  potato,  but  Captain  Cook  said  it  was 
"insipid,  wifh  a  slight  sweetness,  something  resembling  crumb  of  bread 
mixed  with  Jerusalem  artichoke."  The  tree  is  valuable  for  many  other 
purposes,  and  good  cloth  is  manufactured  from  the  inner  bark.  For  fur- 
ther information,  see  Sir  W.  Hooker's  account,  "Botanical  Magazine," 
with  three  plates,  vol.  lv.,  pp.  2869-71. 

%  The  well-known  President  of  the  Eoyal  Society,  and  a  munificent  pa- 
tron of  men  of  learning  and  science. 


THE  BOUNTY  AND  HER  GREW.  17 

on  his  first  voyage,  knew  Tahiti — to  purchase  a  small  vessel 
adapted  for  the  purpose.  He  selected  one  of  215  tons  bur- 
den, and  appropriately  named  her  the  Bounty.  Her  com- 
plement of  officers  and  men  consisted  of  forty-five  persons. 

Lieutenant  William  Bligh,  R.N.,  who  was  appointed  to 
the  command  of  this  expedition,  belonged  to  a  Cornish 
family  resident  at  Tinten  (a  duchy  estate  in  the  parish  of 
St.  Tudy,  near  Bodmin),  and  was  born  in  1753.  He  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  William  Betham,  Esq.,  first  collector 
of  customs  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  after  the  Duke  of  Athole 
had  sold  his  manorial  rights  to  the  British  Government. 
Possessing  considerable  nautical  ability,  Lieutenant  Bligh 
served  for  four  years  with  Captain  Cook,  as  sailing-master 
of  the  Resolution,  and  in  that  capacity  visited  Tahiti  and 
the  adjacent  islands.  The  knowledge  he  had  thus  ac- 
quired led  to  his  being  recommended  by  Sir  Joseph  Banks 
to  the  command  of  the  Bounty,  and  his  wife's  connection 
with  the  Isle  of  Man  probably  influenced  him  in  the  selec- 
tion of  Fletcher  Christian  as  mate,  and  Peter  Hey  wood  as 
midshipman  of  that  vessel ;  Christian  he  had  previously 
known  as  a  good  navigator  and  active  officer.  There 
were  four  other  midshipmen  appointed — Edward  Young, 
nephew  of  Sir  George  Young,  Bart.,  George  Stewart, 
Thomas  Heyward,  and  John  Hallet. 

Fletcher  Christian,  mate  of  the  Bounty,  was  born  in 
1763,  and  was  fourth  son  of  Charles  Christian,  Esq.,  of 
Mairlandclere,  in  Cumberland.*  His  family  were  the  de- 
scendants of  a  William  M'Christian,  who  in  1422  was  en- 
rolled as  a  member  of  the  Manx  Parliament  (or  House  of 
Keys),  and  several  relatives  of  that  name  have  since  held 
the  same  honorable  appointment,  as  well  as  that  of  Deem- 
ster, or  Chief-justice.     On  his  appointment  to  the  Bounty, 

*  Some  part  of  the  family  subsequently  removed  to  Douglas,  Isle  of  Man. 


18  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

he  was  not  more  than  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and  he 
had  twice  sailed  with  Lieutenant  Bligh.  His  brother  Ed- 
ward became  professor  of  law  at  Cambridge,  Chief-justice 
of  Ely,  and  well  known  as  the  editor  of  "  Blackstone's 
Commentaries."  The  family  was  nearly  connected  with 
the  Christian  Curwens  of  Cumberland,  and  one  of  them 
was  for  many  years  member  of  Parliament  for  the  county. 
The  parents  of  George  Stewart  (another  of  the  midship- 
men) were  descended  from  two  different  branches  of  the 
family  of  that  name.  His  father's  family  dates  back  to 
1400,  and  his  mother's  ancestors  claimed  their  descent 
from  the  half-brother  of  Queen  Mary  Stuart,  to  whom  she 
gave  possession  of  the  Orkney  and  Shetland  Islands,  and 
w'hose  successors  were  created  earls  by  James  VI.  of  Scot- 
land. The  following  extract  is  from  an  interesting  letter, 
dated  the  1st  of  April,  1869,  addressed  to  the  authoress 
of  this  volume  by  Mrs.  Barry,  the  aged  sister  of  George 
Stewart,  then  in  her  ninety-second  year.  She  was  the 
widow  of  a  clergyman,  and  resided  in  Edinburgh.* 

"  My  father,  living  on  his  property  in  the  island  of  Ron- 
aldsay,  Orkneys  (where  he  was  born,  and  where  he  was 
married),  finding  that  his  family  could  not  enjoy  the  bene- 
fit of  being  sent  to  school,  moved  thence  to  the  town  of 
Stromness,  where  he  built  a  house.  The  port  was  much 
frequented  by  shipping,  having  a  very  commodious  har- 


*  She  died  since,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1870,  aged  92,  and  was  one  of 
the  last  contemporaries  of  the  history  of  the  Bounty.  The  following  no- 
tice appeared  in  the  "United  Service  Gazette,"  June  18th,  1870: 

1 '  There  died  recently  in  Edinburgh,  at  a  very  advanced  age,  Mrs.  Bar- 
ry, widow  of  the  late  Rev.  J.  Barry,  formerly  minister  of  Shapinshay,  Ork- 
ney. This  venerable  lady  was  the  sister  of  Midshipman  Stewart,  of  the 
Bounty,  who  perished  eighty  years  ago  in  the  Pandora,  when  she  was 
wrecked  off  the  north-east  coast  of  New  Holland,  on  her  way  to  England. 
To  those  who  have  read  '  The  Island '  of  Lord  Byron,  the  character  of  the 
bold  and  daring  young  Arcadian  (Midshipman  Stewart)  will  be  familiar." 


PETER  HEYWOOD.  19 

bor,  where  homeward  and  outward  bound  vessels  fre- 
quently ran  in  for  shelter.  Captain  Cook,  who  was  on 
a  voyage  of  discovery,  put  into  that  harbor.  My  father 
became  acquainted  with  him  and  some  of  his  officers ; 
among  others  with  Bligh,  who  consequently  knew  my  eld- 
est brother.  Bligh  may  possibly  have  understood  that 
George  was  inclined  to  go  to  sea,  and  may  have  said  that 
if  he  could  be  of  any  use  in  furthering  his  views  he  would 
do  so ;  but  whether  or  not  the  Bounty  was  the  first  ship 
George  sailed  in  I  do  not  know,  but,  poor  fellow,  it  was 
his  last.*  His  two  brothers,  who  were  fine  handsome 
youths,  went  to  the  West  Indies,  where  they  managed  es- 
tates, and  after  being  several  years  there  one  died  of  fe- 
ver. The  youngest  came  home  for  a  few  months,  but  re- 
turned to  lay  his  bones  in  Trinidad,  where  he  had  had  the 
management  of  the  estates  of  Lord  Cochrane.  My  father 
did  not  live  to  see  any  of  them  again;  he  died  in  1790. 
My  mother  only  saw  her  youngest  son  before  she  died." 

Peter  Hey  wood,  the  youngest  midshipman  in  the  Boun- 
ty, belonged  to  one  of  those  families  whose  ancestors  came 
to  England  in  the  retinues  of  the  great  Norman  barons. 
Piers  Eywode,  or  Aiwode,  obtained  a  grant  of  land  in 
Lancashire,  near  the  present  town  of  Heywood.  This 
grant  was  made  by  Adelm  Fitzadelm,  son-in-law  of  the 
Conqueror,  and  the  Eywodes  appear  to  have  remained  in 
uninterrupted  succession  on  this  estate  until  the  sixteenth 
century.     A  branch  of  the  family  then  followed  the  earl 

*  Mrs.  Barry,  being  the  youngest  child  of  a  numerous  family,  had  little 
recollection  of  her  eldest  brother,  George  Stewart,  who  went  to  sea  at  six- 
teen years  of  age,  and  joined  the  Bounty  when  twenty-one.  In  his  narra- 
tive, Lieutenant  Bligh  speaks  of  Stewart  as  follows :  ' '  Stewart  was  a 
young  man  of  creditable  parents  in  the  Orkneys,  at  which  place,  on  the 
return  of  the  Resolution  from  the  South  Seas  in  1780,  we  received  so 
many  civilities,  that  on  that  account  only  I  would  gladly  have  taken  him 
with  me,  but  independent  of  this  recommendation,  he  was  a  seaman,  and 
had  always  borne  a  good  character." 


20  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

of  Derby  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  where  an  Eywode  became 
governor  of  the  island,  and  several  of  his  descendants  held 
important  offices.  They  came  into  possession  of  the  Nun- 
nery Estate  through  their  connection  with  the  old  family 
of  the  Caldecotes.  A  Captain  Caldecote  married  Marga- 
ret Goodman,  last  prioress  of  the  nunnery  near  Douglas, 
who  considered  herself  released  from  her  vows  by  the  dis- 
solution of  religious  houses  at  the  Reformation.  She  ob- 
tained a  grant  of  the  convent  and  estate  of  the  nunnery, 
and  the  last  descendant  of  that  union  being  a  female  and 
the  heiress,  married  Hugh  Connell,  Attorney-general,  whose 
only  daughter  married  the  great-grandfather  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice,  and  the  nunnery  thus  passed  into  the 
Heywood  family. 

Notwithstanding  a  connection  with  the  famous  regicide, 
Colonel  Fleetwood,  the  politics  of  the  Hey  woods  seem  to 
have  been  strictly  loyal,  and  a  brother  of  Mr.  Heywood,  of 
Heywood  Hall,  took  an  active  part  in  the  arrest  of  Guy 
Fawkes,  and  secured  the  conspirator's  lantern.  He  pre- 
sented it  as  a  trophy  to  the  Bodleian  Library,  at  Oxford, 
where  it  is  still  to  be  seen,  with  a  Latin  inscription  record- 
ing the  event.  The  fate  of  this  relative  is  described  in  an 
epitaph  on  a  monument  in  the  church  of  St.  Anne  and  St. 
Agnes,  in  Aldersgate  Street,  beneath  which  are  deposited 
the  remains  of  a  descendant,  and  probably  his  own  :* 

"Peter  Heiwood,  that  deceased  Nov.  22,  1 701,  youngest  son  of  Peter 
Heiwood,  one  of  the  chancellors  of  Jamaica,  by  Grace,  daughter  of  John 
Muddeford,  Kt.  and  Bart,  great-grandson  of  Peter  Heiwood,  County  Pal- 
atine of  Lancashire,  who  apprehended  Guy  Fawkes,  with  his  dark  lan- 
tern, and  for  his  zealous  prosecution  of  the  papists,  as  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  was  stabbed  in  Westminster  Hall,  by  John  James,  a  Dominican 
friar,  Anno  Dom.  1640. 

"  Reader,  if  not  a  Papist  bred, 
Upon  these  ashes  lightly  tread." 

*  Houghton's  "London,"  vol.  iii.,  p.  93. 


PETER  HEYWOOD.  21 

Peter  John  Hey  wood,  a  Deemster  of  the  Isle  of  Man, 
married  Elizabeth,  only  child  by  a  first  marriage  of  Mr, 
Spedding,  of  Summer  Grove,  near  Whitehaven,  Cumber- 
land ;  and  among  the  younger  children  of  her  numerous 
family  was  Peter,  born  at  the  Nunnery,  June  6th,  1773. 
As  the  boy  grew  up,  his  intelligence  and  gentle  disposition 
made  him  the  idol  of  all  the  members  of  his  family,  espe- 
cially of  his  sister  Nessy,  who  was  six  years  his  senior,  and 
became  his  early  favorite  and  preceptress.  He  passed  his 
first  and  happiest  years  at  the  Nunnery  and  at  Douglas, 
and  there  first  imbibed  his  predilection  for  maritime  pur- 
suits and  studies.  In  his  eleventh  year  Peter  was  sent  to 
school  at  Nantwich,  in  Cheshire,  and  always  spoke  grate- 
fully of  the  instruction  he  received  from  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hunter,  to  whose  care  he  was  confided.  When  sufficiently 
advanced  he  was  removed  to  St.  Bees,  where  his  career  of 
study  was  very  brief,  in  consequence  of  what  was  consid- 
ered a  favorable  opportunity  occurring  to  gratify  the  boy's 
ardent  aspiration  for  the  naval  service.  Lieutenant  Bligh 
when  in  the  Isle  of  Man  visited  at  the  Nunnery,  and  on 
being  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Bounty  wrote  to 
Deemster  Heywood,  offering  to  take  his  son.  The  ap- 
pointment was  secured  at  the  Admiralty  through  the  in- 
fluence of  a  relative,  Mr.  Heywood,  of  Maristow,  in  Devon- 
shire. 

In  the  summer  of  the  year  1 787,  just  as  he  had  com- 
pleted his  fourteenth  year,  Peter  Heywood  left  the  Isje  of 
Man  to  join  Lieutenant  Bligh  at  Deptford.  To  his  moth- 
er and  sisters  a  voyage  to  the  South  Seas  appeared  most 
formidable ;  but  the  prospect  of  placing  him  under  the 
care  of  a  friend  softened  the  pain  of  parting,  as  a  proposal 
had  been  accepted  to  the  effect  that  he  should  reside  with 
Lieutenant  and  Mrs.  Bligh  until  the  Bounty  sailed.  His 
mother's  last  adieux  and  blessings  were  accompanied  by 


22  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

the  gift  of  a  Bible  and  Prayer-Book ;  the  latter  being  the 
only  solace  destined  to  remain  in  his  possession  during 
many  months  of  trial  and  adversity.  Peter's  father  ac- 
companied him  from  Douglas  to  Liverpool,  where  an  ar- 
rangement was  made  that  he  should  travel  post  with  two 
friends  of  Mr.  Hey  wood,  who  were  going  up  to  London  ; 
and  as  an  illustration  of  the  dangers  of  the  road  eighty- 
three  years  since,  it  may  be  observed  that  these  gentlemen 
were  provided  each  with  a  pair  of  pistols  duly  primed  and 
placed  in  the  pocket  of  the  chaise.  The  father  and  son 
then  took  what  was  to  be  a  final  leave  of  one  another,  as 
Mr.  Hey  wood  died  before  any  intelligence  of  the  Bounty 
reached  England.  His  parting  gift  was  his  own  watch, 
containing  a  portrait — in  enamel  set  with  brilliants — of 
Peter's  mother,  which  (as  Captain  Heywood  used  in  after 
years  to  say)  was  taken  from  him  on  his  arrival  at  Dept- 
ford  by  "  a  very  gentlemanly  young  man." 


II 


I 

I 


1 


u 


a    \ 


lar/A 

MHz-  ,r^    *    ••• ' 


DEPARTURE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.  25 


CHAPTER  H. 

Departure  of  the  Bounty. — Voyage. — Arrival  at  Tahiti,  and  sailing  from 
thence  to  the  West  Indies. 

The  Bounty  was  commissioned  and  fitted  out  at  Dept- 
ford.  She  was  ship-rigged,  and  in  these  days  would  have 
appeared  a  quaint,  unwieldy  vessel,  having  been  built  for 
the  merchant  service,  in  which  capacity  for  stowage  is 
generally  considered  of  more  importance  than  sailing  qual- 
ities. Her  size,  215  tons,  was  by  no  means  large  for  so  dis- 
tant a  voyage,  and  as  her  internal  fittings  were  prepared 
for  the  reception  of  young  bread-fruit  trees,  there  remained 
but  indifferent  accommodation  for  the  officers  and  crew. 
This  was,  however,  a  minor  consideration  to  young  and 
buoyant  spirits,  full  of  ardor  for  the  expedition,  and  eager 
to  visit  the  beautiful  islands  recently  discovered  by  Wal- 
lis,*  and  enthusiastically  described  by  Cook. 

But  high-wrought  expectations  are  seldom  realized. 
Even  before  the  Bounty  was  ready  for  sea,  symptoms  of 
discontent  began  to  manifest  themselves  among  the  crew. 
Lieutenant  Bligh  was  charged  with  the  duties  of  purser,  as 
well  as  those  of  commander  of  the  ship ;  an  arrangement 
which,  although  the  rule  of  the  naval  service  at  that 
time,  was  attended  with  many  disadvantages.  Such  a 
combination  was  especially  unfortunate  in  the  case  of 
Lieutenant  Bligh,  who,  besides  being  of  an  irritable  and 
passionate  disposition,  was  of  a  most  suspicious  turn  of 
mind.     The  language  he  indulged  in,  both  to  officers  and 

*  The  Society  Islands  were  first  discovered  by  Captain  Wallis,  in  1767. 

2 


26  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

men,  was  so  harsh  and  offensive  as  to  be  exceptional,  even 
at  a  period  when  it  was  deemed  that  discipline  could  not 
be  maintained  without  the  use  of  opprobrious  and  profane 
epithets.  During  the  fitting  out,  he  often  accused  the 
men  of  purloining  the  ship's  stores,  thus  occasioning  resent- 
ful feelings  in  the  minds  of  many,  and  rendering  himself 
generally  unpopular. 

On  a  dull,  cold  morning  (the  9th  of  October,  178*7),  the 
fitting  out  of  the  Bounty  was  completed,  and,  leaving  the 
dock  at  Deptford,  she  dropped  down  our  great  water 
highway  to  Long  Reach.  She  departed,  as  thousands  of 
ships  had  before,  and  thousands  have  since,  accompanied  by 
the  hearty  English  cheer  of  "  God  speed,"  which  gladdens 
the  heart  of  the  mariner ;  and  followed,  no  doubt,  by  many 
a  prayer  for  the  safety  and  success  of  the  outward  bound. 
Who,  among  the  assembled  spectators,  could  have  dreamed 
of  the  strange  fate  which  awaited  her,  or  of  the  perils  and 
singular  adventures  even  of  those  of  her  officers  and  crew 
who  were  destined  to  return  to  the  shores  of  England ! 

At  Long  Reach  the  vessel  remained  a  few  days,  and 
then  left  for  Spithead,  where  she  anchored  on  the  4th  No- 
vember. Before  proceeding  farther,  it  may  be  well  to  men- 
tion that  among  the  papers  relative  to  the  Bounty  which 
are  in  the  possession  of  the  authoress  of  this  little  vol- 
ume, there  is  a  journal  kept  by  James  Morrison,  one  of  the 
petty  officers  of  the  Bounty.  It  appears  from  this  diary 
that  Morrison  possessed  literary  attainments  far  beyond 
the  generality  of  seamen  of  his  time.  As  being  the  pro- 
duction of  an  eye-witness  on  board  the  vessel,  and  giving 
a  fair  general  view  of  the  proceedings,  with  some  impor- 
tant remarks  touching  the  relative  positions  of  her  officers 
and  men,  it  is  here  adopted  in  the  absence  of  all  other 
information  concerning  her  outward  voyage  to  Tahiti. 
James  Morrison  thus  commences  his  diary : 


MORRISON'S  JOURNAL :— VOYAGE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.    27 

"1787. — After  several  ineffectual  attempts  to  put  to 
sea,  in  one  of  which  some  of  our  sails  were  carried  away, 
we  sailed  on  the  23d  of  December,  with  a  strong  easterly- 
gale,  which  by  the  27th  soon  increased  to  a  heavy  one,  in 
which  we  sustained  some  damage ;  the  vessel  also  shipped 
a  sea  which  injured  the  boat,  and  tore  all  the  planks  from 
the  large  cutter's  stern.  Another  sea  stove  in  a  part  of 
the  Bounty's  stern  between  the  dead-lights,  but  did  little 
other  damage,  except  breaking  an  azimuth  compass,  and 
wetting  a  few  bags  of  bread  in  the  cabin.  The  breach  in 
the  stern  was  soon  secured,  and  the  ship  hove  to  the  wind, 
as  it  had  become  dangerous  to  scud. 

"  When  the  weather  moderated,  we  made  sail.  The 
carpenter  repaired  the  boat  and  other  damages.  We  met 
with  no  other  accident,  or  any  thing  material,  till  the  5th 
of  January,  1788,  when  we  made  the  Island  of  Teneriffe, 
and  anchored  in  the  roads  of  Santa  Cruz  on  the  6th.  Here 
we  completed  our  water,  and  took  on  board  some  wine  for 
the  ship's  use,  and  several  casks  for  gentlemen  in  England 
and  the  West  Indies,  four  quarters  of  miserable  beef,  a  few 
pumpkins,  and  a  goat  and  kid  (which  died  soon  after) ; 
these  being  all  the  supplies  we  received.  As  to  the  beef, 
it  was  for  the  most  part  thrown  overboard  by  the  men, 
who  had  not  yet  sufficient  appetite  to  eat  what  they  sup- 
posed to  be  '  the  flesh  of  a  donkey  or  mule.' 

"  On  the  14th  of  January  we  left  Santa  Cruz,  and  stood 
to  the  s.w.  with  a  fine  breeze  and  pleasant  weather.  The 
ship's  company  were  now  distributed  in  three  watches, 
and  Mr.  F.  Christian  appointed  to  act  as  lieutenant,  by  or- 
der of  Lieutenant  Bligh,  which  order  was  read  to  the  ship's 
company.  Mr;  Bligh  then  informed  them  that,  as  the 
length  of  the  voyage  was  uncertain,  and  as  it  was  doubt- 
ful whether  we  should  be  able  to  get  round  Cape  Horn 
(the  season  being  so  far  advanced),  it  became  necessary  to 
be  careful  of  the  provisions  (particularly  bread),  that  they 
might  hold  out.  He  therefore  ordered  the  allowance  of 
bread  to  be  reduced  to  two-thirds,  which  was  cheerfully 


28  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

received,  and  the  stock  of  bread  being  thus  reserved,  grog 
was  served  out  instead. 

"  The  weather  still  continuing  fine,  a  few  days  after- 
wards the  cheeses  were  brought  up  to  air,  when,  on  open- 
ing the  casks,  two  were  missed  by  Mr.  Bligh,  who  declared 
that  they  had  been  stolen.  The  cooper  stated  that  the 
cask  had  been  opened  while  the  ship  was  in  the  river,  and 
the  cheeses  ordered  to  be  taken  on  shore.  Mr.  Bligh, 
without  making  any  further  inquiry  into  the  matter,  order- 
ed the  allowance  of  cheese  to  be  stopped  from  officers  and 
men  till  the  deficiency  should  be  made  good,  and  told  the 
cooper  he  would  give  him  a  good  flogging  if  he  said  any 
more  about  it.  These  orders  were  strictly  obeyed  by  Mr. 
Samuel,  who  was  both  clerk  and  steward,  and  on  the  next 
banyan-day*  butter  only  was  issued.  This  the  seamen  re- 
fused, alleging  that  their  acceptance  of  the  butter  without 
cheese  would  be  tacitly  acknowledging  the  supposed  theft; 
and  John  Williams  declared  that  he  had  carried  the 
cheeses  to  Mr.  Bligh's  house,  with  a  cask  of  vinegar,  and 
some  other  things  which  went  up  in  the  boat  from  Long 
Reach. 

"As  the  ship  approached  the  equator,  the  pumpkins 
began  to  spoil,  and,  being  generally  too  large  for  the  cab- 
in use,  they  were  issued  to  the  ship's  company  in  lieu  of 
bread.  The  crew,  being  desirous  of  knowing  at  what  rate 
the  exchange  was  to  be,  inquired  of  Mr.  Samuel,  the  stew- 
ard, who  informed  them  that  they  were  to  have  one  pound 
of  pumpkins  instead  of  two  pounds  of  bread.  This  was 
refused  by  the  men,  and,  on  Mr.  Bligh  being  informed  of 
it,  he  came  on  deck  in  a  violent  passion,  and  called  all 
hands,  telling  Mr.  Camuel  to  summon  the  first  man  of 
every  mess,  and  let  him  see  who  would  dare  to  refuse 
it,  or  any  thing  else  that  he  should  order  to  be  served ; 
adding,  Til  make  you  eat  grass,  or  any  thing  you  can 
catch,  before  I  have  done  with  you.'  The  order  being 
*thus  enforced,  every  one  took  the  pumpkins,  officers  not 

*  An  Indian  terra  for  a  fast-dav. 


IIOHBISON'S  JOURNAL  .—  VOYAGE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.    29 

excepted;  yet,  having  a  good  private  stock  of  potatoes 
laid  in  at  Spithead,  they  did  not  immediately  feel  the  ef- 
fects of  such  a  reduction  of  their  bread.  As  the  pumpkins 
were  always  served  at  one  pound  per  man,  it  was  frequent- 
ly thrown  together  by  the  seamen,  and  the  cooks  of  the 
different  messes  drew  lots  for  the  whole.  The  pumpkins 
were  issued  every  other  day,  till  expended.  In  all  proba- 
bility the  grievance  would  have  ended  there,  but  private 
stock  began  to  decrease  also,  and  the  beef  and  pork  to  ap- 
pear very  light ;  and  as  these  had  never  yet  been  weighed 
when  opened,  it  was  supposed  that  the  casks  were  short 
of  their  weight ;  for  which  reason,  the  people  applied  to 
the  master,  and  begged  that  he  would  examine  into  the 
affair  and  procure  them  redress. 

"  The  master  making  this  complaint  known  to  Mr. 
Bligh,  he  ordered  all  hands  aft,  and  informed  them  that 
every  thing  relative  to  the  provisions  was  transacted  by 
his  orders.  It  was,  therefore,  needless  for  them  to  make 
any  complaint ;  they  would  obtain  no  redress,  as  he  was 
the  fittest  judge  of  what  was  right  or  wrong.  He  added 
that  he  would  flog  the  first  man  severely  who  should  dare 
to  make  any  complaint  in  future,  and  dismissed  them  with 
severe  threats. 

"  The  seamen,  seeing  that  no  redress  could  be  had  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  voyage,  determined  to  bear  it  with  pa- 
tience, and  neither  murmured  nor  complained  afterwards. 
However,  the  officers  were  not  so  easily  satisfied;  they 
frequently  murmured  among  themselves  about  the  small- 
ness  of  their  allowance,  and  could  not  be  reconciled  to  such 
unfair  proceedings.  But  they  made  no  open  complaint, 
perceiving  that  the  men  were  silent  on  the  subject. 
Whenever  a  cask  was  broached,  they  saw  with  regret  all 
the  prime  pieces  taken  out  for  the  cabin  table,  while  they 
were  forced  to  take  their  chance  of  what  remained  in  com- 
mon with  the  men ;  without  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
whether  they  had  their  weight  or  not,  being  obliged  to 
take  it  as  marked.  This  circumstance,  while  it  increased 
their  distress,  and  excited  angry  feelings  towards  the  au- 


30  TEE  MUTINEERS  OF  TEE  BOUNTY. 

thor  of  it  in  private,  helped  to  reconcile  the  men,  as  they 
saw  that  all  shared  alike.  Nor  were  they,  as  the  sea- 
phrase  expresses  it,  able  or  calculated  to  '  stand  the  wran- 
gle in  the  gale,'  about  their  peas  and  oatmeal,  which  were 
served  to  them  in  very  sparing  quantities  —  so  sparing, 
that  there  was  never  any  of  either  left  for  the  pigs,  which 
must  have  been  starved,  but  for  bread,  and  Indian  corn 
purchased  for  the  poultry. 

"  The  usual  allowance  of  peas  was  seven  quarts  for  the 
whole  complement,  of  which  none  failed  to  partake ;  and 
of  oatmeal,  nine  quarts  each  banyan-day.  With  the  peas 
were  frequently  boiled  four  cakes  of  portable  beef  broth ; 
and  some  sour-krout  (salted  cabbage).  The  butter  and 
cheese  being  expended,  oil  and  sugar  were  served  instead, 
in  the  proportion  of  half  a  gill  of  oil  and  one  ounce  of  su- 
gar per  man  each  banyan-day. 

"  Near  the  line  we  had  heavy  rain,  and  filled  several 
casks  of  water,  both  for  ourselves  and  stock ;  and  carried 
a  fair  wind  and  fair  weather  (except  at  intervals)  with  us 
till  we  made  Terra  del  Fuego  on  the  23d  of  March.  The 
weather  being  fine,  we  were  all  in  high  spirits,  and  hoped 
soon  to  get  round  the  Cape. 

"  1*788.  March  23d. — One  of  the  sheep  dying  this  morn- 
ing, Lieutenant  Bligh  ordered  it  to  be  issued  in  lieu  of  the 
day's  allowance  of  pork  and  peas,  declaring  that  it  would 
make  a  delicious  meal,  and  that  it  weighed  upwards  of  fif- 
ty pounds.  It  was  divided,  but  most  part  of  it  thrown 
overboard,  and  some  dried  shark  supplied  its  place  for  a 
Sunday's  dinner,  for  it  was  nothing  but  skin  and  bone. 

"  The  day  continued  fine,  and  we  stood  along  the  land, 
crossing  the  Strait  of  Le  Maire.  As  soon  as  we  were  clear 
of  Staten  Land,  it  set  in  bad  weather.  We  got  the  top- 
gallant masts  down,  and  made  every  thing  ready  for  it. 
The  appearance  of  the  country  is  rugged  and  barren.  We 
saw  here  vast  numbers  of  seals,  penguins,  shags,  and  white 
and  black  albatrosses — some  of  the  white  we  caught, 
which  made  an  excellent  meal.  Some  of  them  measured 
upwards  of  eight  feet  from  tip  to  tip  of  their  wings.     The 


MORRISON'S  JOURNAL :— VOYAGE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.    31 

black  ones  we  called  padres,  but  never  caught  any  of 
them.     We  tried  for  fish,  but  without  success. 

"  The  weather  becoming  very  sharp  as  we  stood  to  the 
southward,  the  people  requested  that  they  might  have 
their  rum  without  water.  This  was  readily  agreed  to,  as 
the  water  was  saved  by  it,  and  the  allowance  of  water 
was  now  reduced  to  three  pints  per  day.  This  allowance, 
in  such  weather  as  we  had,  was  more  than  sufficient,  for 
we  had  no  method  of  using  it  otherwise  than  as  drink,  and 
this  indulgence  was  not  lost  on  the  seamen,  whose  spirits 
seemed  to  have  an  additional  flow  from  it.  They  thought 
nothing  of  hardship,  and,  notwithstanding  fatigue  and  in- 
creasing bad  weather,  they  carried  on  the  duty  with  alac- 
rity and  cheerfulness,  anticipating  the  pleasure  and  profit 
they  hoped  to  reap  by  the  success  of  the  voyage. 

"  Wheat  and  barley  were  now  boiled  every  morning  for 
breakfast  instead  of  burgoo,  but  the  quantity  was  so  small 
that  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  four  men  in  a  mess  to 
draw  lots  for  the  breakfast,  and  to  divide  their  bread  by 
the  well-known  method  of '  Who  shall  have  this  ?' 

"  The  quantity  of  wheat  boiled  was  one  gallon  for  forty- 
four  men,  of  which  they  all  partook,  and  of  barley  two 
pounds  for  the  like  number.  The  division  of  this  scanty 
allowance  caused  frequent  broils  in  the  galley,  and  in  the 
present  bad  weather  they  were  sometimes  attended  with 
serious  consequences.  In  one  of  these  disputes  the  cook, 
Thomas  Hall,  got  two  of  his  ribs  broken ;  and  at  another 
time  Charles  Churchill's  hand  was  scalded ;  and  it  became 
at  last  necessary  to  have  the  master's  mate  of  the  watch 
to  superintend  the  division  of  the  food.  The  weather  con- 
tinued to  grow  worse  daily ;  hail,  rain,  sleet,  and  snow — 
or  rather  large  flakes  of  half-formed  ice — alternately  fol- 
lowing each  other  in  heavy  squalls,  which  often  reduced 
us  to  bare  poles  and  battened  hatches,  as  the  sea  made 
fair  breaches  over  us.  The  surgeon  and  three  men  were 
very  much  injured  by  being  thrown  into  the  cockpit,  as 
the  vessel  rolled  so  terribly.  Yet,  notwithstanding  the 
severity  and  inclemency  of  the  season,  the  continued  gales 


32  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

and  repeated  squalls,  such  was  the  alacrity  and  carefulness 
of  officers  and  men  that  we  never  lost  a  spar  or  a  yard  of 
canvas,  though  frequently  forced  to  take  the  sails  in  after 
loosing  them,  before  the  tacks  could  be  hauled  on  board 
or  the  sheets  aft. 

"  Sweetwort  was  now  made  from  malt,  and  a  pint  a 
man  served  hot  every  day,  which  was  very  acceptable  and 
nourishing  in  our  present  condition.  But  the  intense 
cold,  and  being  continually  wet,  the  hard  duty  and  con- 
tinual fatigue,  the  rigorous  season,  together  with  the  un- 
comfortable condition  of  the  men  between  decks  (always 
filled  with  smoke),  and  the  hatches  battened  down,  soon 
began  to  attack  our  constitutions,  and  several  fell  sick. 
The  straining  of  the  ship  (though  perfectly  sound),  and 
the  hammocks  being  always  wet,  made  it  very  uncomfort- 
able not  only  for  the  sick  but  also  for  those  in  health. 

"As  the  people  began  to  fall  sick  the  duty  became 
heavier  on  those  who  were  well,  but  was  still  carried  on 
with  alacrity  and  spirit ;  and  the  behavior  of  the  seamen 
in  this  trying  situation  was  such  as  merited  the  entire  ap- 
probation of  the  officers,  and  Mr.  Bligh's  public  thanks. 

"After  a  fatiguing  and  ineffectual  trial,  it  was  found 
that  the  passage  round  Cape  Horn  was  not  practicable  at 
this  season  of  the  year.  Though  we  had  reached  the  6 2d 
degree  of  S.  latitude  and  79th  of  W.  longitude,  yet  we 
found  that  we  lost  ground,  although  the  ship  was  an  ex- 
cellent sea-boat. 

"On  the  18th  of  April  Mr.  Bligh  ordered  the  hands  aft, 
and  after  returning  them  his  thanks  for  their  unremitting 
attention  to  their  duty,  informed  them  of  his  intention  to 
bear  away  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  as  it  appeared  to 
him  an  impossibility  to  get  round  Cape  Horn.  This  was 
received  with  great  joy,  and  the  ship  was  instantly  put 
before  the  wind. 

"In  the  evening  the  wind  veered  to  the  north-west, 
which  induced  Lieutenant  Bligh  to  haul  up  on  the  star- 
board tack  and  try  again  to  get  round  Cape  Horn,  al- 
though we  had  run  nearly  120  miles  to  the  eastward. 


MORRISON'S  JOURNAL  .—  VOYAGE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.    33 

But  these  flattering  appearances  soon  vanished,  for  the 
wind  shifted  again  to  the  west  and  blew  with  redoubled 
fury,  and  we  again  bore  away  on  the  2 2d  for  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope. 

"After  we  bore  away,  the  hatches  were  opened,  which 
till  now  had  almost  constantly  been  battened  down.  By 
airing  and  drying  the  ship  between  decks  the  sick  recov- 
ered fast,  and  the  more  so  as  we  got  into  a  more  temper- 
ate climate.  We  could  not  find  the  Isles  of  Tristan  d'Ac- 
unha  according  to  their  situation  on  the  chart,  though  we 
hove  to  part  of  a  night  for  that  purpose. 

"May. — We  made  the  Cape  on  the  23d  of  May,  and 
anchored  in  Table  Bay  on  the  25th.  Here  we  found  sev- 
eral Dutch  and  French  ships,  and  soon  after  the  Hon.  East 
India  Company's  ship  Dublin  arrived  and  watered  here. 

"  Fresh  provisions  were  now  procured,  with  soft  bread 
and  wine  for  present  use. 

"  The  seine  was  hauled  with  various  success,  and  we 
caught  several  fine  fish  with  hook  and  line,  called  Romans 
and  Hottentots,  and  a  few  seals  on  Seal  Island,  where 
these  animals  resort  in  great  numbers  and  bask  in  the  sun. 
As  the  island  is  an  entire  rock,  it  affords  shelter  for  no 
animals  but  the  seals  and  sea-fowl,  with  which  it  abounds. 

"  While  we  remained  in  Simon's  Bay  the  ship  was  refit- 
ted, the  rigging  overhauled,  and  the  sails  repaired.  The 
armorer  set  to  work  to  make  new  hinges  for  the  weather- 
boards, which  had  been  washed  away.  The  carpenter  and 
his  mates,  with  two  Dutch  caulkers,  caulked  the  sides. 
We  painted  the  ship  and  refitted  the  weather-boards. 

"Every  thing  being  completed  as  regarded  supplies 
and  all  damages  repaired  by  the  1st  of  July,  we  sailed, 
and  stood  to  the  eastward  with  a  fine  breeze.  As  we 
edged  to  the  southward  the  wind  increased  to  a  fresh 
gale,  which  continued  with  little  alteration.  We  passed 
close  by  St.  Paul,  a  high  and  barren  island,  with  but  very 
few  trees  and  shrubs ;  but  this  was  the  middle  of  winter, 
and  a  heavy  gale  coming  on  prevented  any  further  exam- 
ination.    We  arrived  at  Adventure  Bay,  in  New  Holland, 


34  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

without  any  material  accident,  on  the  2d  or  3d  of  Septem- 
ber, where  we  wooded  and  watered,  and  sailed  about  the 
middle  of  the  same  month  for  Tahiti. 

"  While  we  were  at  Adventure  Bay,  bread  was  served 
out  at  full  allowance,  and  water-gruel  boiled  for  breakfast; 
but,  as  we  put  to  sea,  we  returned  to  the  former  short  al- 
lowance, and  here  also  were  sown  the  seeds  of  eternal  dis- 
cord between  Lieutenant  Bligh  and  some  of  his  officers, 
whom  he  accused  of  inattention  to  their  duties,  which  was 
a  cause  of  great  annoyance.  He  also  put  the  carpenter  in 
confinement. 

"  Soon  after  we  sailed  a  group  of  small  islands  to  the 
eastward  of  New  Zealand  were  discovered,  which  were 
called  the  Bounty  Islands. 

"October. — Some  symptoms  of  scurvy  made  their  ap- 
pearance, and  weakness  and  debility  began  to  be  observed 
throughout  the  ship's  company ;  but  essence  of  malt  was 
given  to  those  who  appeared  worst,  salt  provisions  were 
stopped,  and  flour  substituted. 

"  During  the  passage  Mr.  Bligh  and  his  messmates,  the 
master  and  the  surgeon,  fell  out  and  separated,  each  taking 
his  part  of  the  stock  and  retiring  to  live  in  his  own  cabin. 
Afterwards  they  had  several  disputes,  and  seldom  spoke  to 
each  other  except  on  duty,  and  even  then  with  much  ap- 
parent reserve.  Previous  to  making  Tahiti,  a  dispute  hap- 
pened between  Mr.  Bligh  and  Mr.  Fryer,  the  master,  rela- 
tive to  signing  some  books,  which  the  master  had  refused 
to  sign  for  reasons  best  known  to  himself.  Upon  this,  all 
hands  were  called  on  deck,  the  Articles  of  War -read  and 
some  part  of  the  printed  instructions,  after  which  the  books 
and  papers  were  produced,  with  a  pen  and  ink,  and  Mr. 
Bligh  said, '  Now,  sir,  sign  these  books.'  The  master  took 
the  pen,  saying,  '  I  sign  in  obedience  to  your  orders,  but 
this  may  be  cancelled  hereafter.'  The  books  were  signed, 
and  the  people  dismissed  to  their  duties. 

"  On  the  21st  of  October  we  made  the  Island  of  May  tea 
(or  Osnaburgh  Island),  and"  stood  close  in  with  it,  when 
several  of  the  natives  came  down  on  the  rocks  waving 


MORRISON'S  JOURNAL :— VOYAGE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.     35 

large  pieces  of  white  cloth,  but  none  attempted  to  come 
off.  In  the  afternoon  we  bore  away  for  Tahiti;  made  it 
about  5  p.m.,  bearing  n.w.  ;  at  8  o'clock  hove  to ;  and  at  4 
in  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  October,  1788,  made  sail  and 
anchored  at  10  a.m.  in  Port  Royal  (or  Maatavaye)  Bay. 

"As  soon  as  the  ship  was  anchored,  a  tent  pitched  on 
shore,  and  the  necessary  arrangements  made  for  supplies 
of  provisions,  the  natives  brought  off  plenty  of  cocoa-nuts, 
the  milk  of  which  contributed  to  the  recovery  of  the  sick. 
Ample  supplies  of  fresh  provisions  and  vegetables  strength- 
ened the  whole  of  the  ship's  company,  who  had  suffered 
much  from  the  hardships  of  the  voyage.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  November  the  botanist  and  his  assistant  went  on 
shore  to  reside,  and  to  commence  collecting  and  potting 
young  bread-fruit  trees.  During  this  period  the  crew 
were  busily  employed  curing  and  salting  provisions  for 
the  voyage  to  the  West  Indies. 

"  For  a  time  provisions  were  plentiful,  but,  as  the  sup- 
plies fell  off,  Lieutenant  Bligh  seized  every  thing  that 
came  on  board,  taking  all  for  his  own  property,  and  serv- 
ing them  to  the  men  as  the  ship's  allowance  at  the  rate  of 
one  pound  per  man  per  day.  He  also  seized  the  pigs  be- 
longing to  the  master,  although  he  had  more  than  forty 
of  his  own  on  board.  When  the  master  spoke  to  him, 
telling  him  the  pigs  were  his  property,  Lieutenant  Bligh 
answered  that  every  thing  was  his  as  soon  as  it  came  on 
board  ;  that  he  would  take  nine-tenths  of  any  man's  prop- 
erty, and  let  them  beware  of  saying  any  thing  to  the  con- 
trary. The  natives,  observing  that  the  commander  seized 
every  thing  as  it  came  on  board,  began  to  fear  that  he 
might  take  the  provisions  from  the  crew  without  pay- 
ment. They  took  every  opportunity,  therefore,  when  he 
was  on  shore,  of  bringing  off  supplies  to  their  friends  on 
board.  Lieutenant  Bligh,  observing  these  proceedings,  or- 
dered a  book  to  be  kept  in  the  binnacle,  in  which  the  mate 
of  the  watch  was  to  insert  the  number  of  all  articles  of 
provision  that  came  on  board ;  also  the  weight.  His  vig- 
ilance, however,  was  evaded  by  the  natives,  who  resorted 


36  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

to  all  sorts  of  artifices  so  successfully  that  the  sailors  had 
ample  supplies. 

"  The  cabin  was  now  fitted  to  receive  the  young  plants, 
which  were  being  rapidly  collected  and  all  in  a  very 
healthy  state,  when  an  incident  occurred  which  might 
have  cost  Lieutenant  Bligh  his  life.  Three  of  the  sailors 
went  on  shore  in  the  cutter  without  leave,  and  unobserved 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Hayward,  the  mate  of  the  morning  watch, 
who  was  supposed  to  be  asleep.  Three  weeks  elapsed  be- 
fore the  men  were  discovered  and  brought  back  to  the 
ship,  and  certainly  they  merited  punishment.  They  were 
put  in  irons  for  a  month,  and  then  were  punished; 
Churchill  receiving  two  dozen  lashes,  the  others  four 
dozen  each.  Mr.  Thomas  Hayward,  who  had  also  been  in 
irons  for  a  month,  was  not  flogged,  as  Bligh  had  intended, 
but,  deservedly,  severely  reprimanded,  and  then  returned 
to  duty. 

"A  short  time  after,  two  strands  of  the  small-bower 
cable  were  observed  to  have  been  cut  at  the  water's 
edge ;  which,  as  the  cable  hung  under  the  bottom,  was 
not  observed  till  a  squall  from  the  westward  brought  it  to 
bear  ahead,  when  we  hove  it  in  and  spliced  it  before  the 
wind  became  sufficiently  strong  to  part  it.  As  the  buoy 
had  also  been  cut  away  and  sunk,  it  was  supposed  the  na- 
tives were  the  authors  of  the  mischief,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  paid  for  diving  after  it.  For  the  time  being  the 
secret  was  kept  strictly,  but  afterwards  one  of  the  chiefs, 
the  friend  of  Mr.  Thomas  Hayward,  said  that  the  bower 
cable  had  been  cut  and  the  buoy  sunk  by  his  order,  that 
the  ship  might  go  on  shore  and  Mr.  Bligh  fall  into  his 
hands  ;  and  had  Hayward  received  a  single  lash  he  would 
at  once  have  shot  Bligh,  having  secreted  a  pistol  and 
standing  close  to  him  on  deck  when  the  prisoners  were 
brought  up  for  punishment. 

"Another  man,  a  native,  had  committed  a  robbery  on 
board,  and,  among  other  things,  carried  off  a  compass.  The 
man  was  caught,  ordered  one  hundred  lashes,  and  put  into 
irons ;  but  with  wonderful  ingenuity  he  contrived  to  make 


MOBMISON'S  JOURNAL :— VOYAGE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.    37 

his  escape,  when  Lieutenant  Bligh  went  on  shore  and  ac- 
cused Christian — who  was  on  guard  with  the  party  at  the 
tent — of  not  keeping  a  good  look-out,  but  he  said  that  the 
weather  had  been  so  stormy  and  the  night  so  dark  that  it 
was  impossible  to  see  any  one  who  might  land.  The  sen- 
try on  deck  had  heard  a  plunge  overboard,  but  could  see 
nothing,  owing  to  the  tempestuous  state  of  the  weather. 

"Towards  the  end  of  March,  1789,  the  botanist  and  his 
assistants  had  collected  upwards  of  one  thousand  bread- 
fruit plants,  besides  other  trees  which  he  considered  valu- 
able. 

"  On  the  1  st  of  April  they  were  all  safely  stowed 
away  on  board,  together  with  numbers  of  pigs,  vegeta- 
bles, fowls,  etc.,  besides  a  quantity  of  fresh  plantains  for 
sea  stock.  All,  however,  were  ordered  aft — the  cocoa- 
nuts  and  what  live-stock  the  lieutenant  chose  to  select; 
and  on  the  4th  of  April  we  bade  farewell  to  the  Society 
Islands.  The  plantains  were  ordered  to  be  served  out, 
one  pound  weight  to  each  man,  in  lieu  of  bread  ;  and  when 
they  were  expended,  a  similar  quantity  of  yams  or  taro- 
root  until  we  reached  Annamooka,  one  of  the  eastern 
range  of  the  Friendly  Islands,  where  we  arrived  on  the 
23d  of  April.  Here  we  remained  some  days  to  lay  in 
wood  and  water.  The  natives  were  very  troublesome,  at- 
tempting to  steal  the  casks  or  any  article  they  could  ap- 
propriate. In  vain  muskets  were  fired  at  them  with  the 
view  of  intimidation ;  they  only  pointed  their  spears  in 
turn,  and  raised  their  clubs  in  a  formidable  manner ;  but, 
according  to  Lieutenant  Bligh's  order,  they  were  not  to  be 
interfered  with  or  offended.  Mr.  Christian,  finding  it  im- 
possible to  carry  on  the  duty,  informed  Mr.  Bligh  of  the 
circumstances,  who,  making  use  of  some  very  strong  lan- 
guage, called  him  '  a  cowardly  rascal,'  and  added,  *  Are 
you  afraid  of  a  set  of  savages  while  you  have  arms  T  To 
this  speech  Mr.  Christian  quietly  replied,  *  The  arms  are  of 
no  avail,  sir,  while  you  prohibit  their  use.'  With  some 
difficulty,  and  after  making  presents  to  the  chiefs,  who 
would  give  nothing  without  an  equivalent,  the  necessary 


38         THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

amount  of  wood  and  water  was  collected  ;  also  a  number 
of  yams"  and  cocoa-nuts,  both  of  which,  in  that  island,  are 
the  largest  in  the  world. 

"  On  the  26th,"  continues  the  journal, "  we  set  sail,  the 
wind  being  light.  We  made  but  little  way  during  the 
night,  and  next  morning,  the  27th,  the  wind  continuing  in 
the  same  quarter,  we  altered  our  position  very  little,  being 
within  seven  or  eight  leagues  of  the  Island  of  Tofoa  all 
day.  In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Bligh  came  up  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  missing  some  of  the  cocoa-nuts  which  were  piled 
up  between  the  guns,  said  they  had  been  stolen,  and  that 
it  must  have  been  with  the  knowledge  and  connivance  of 
the  officers.  They  were  all  called  up,  and  declared  they 
had  not  seen  any  man  touch  them ;  to  which  Lieutenant 
Bligh  replied, '  Then  you  have  taken  them  yourselves,'  and 
ordered  Elphinstone,  the  master's  mate,  to  go  down  and 
bring  up  every  cocoa-nut  in  the  ship,  which  he  did.  They 
were  very  numerous,  as  the  sailors  had  made  large  pur- 
chases on  their  own  account.  He  then  questioned  each 
officer  as  to  the  number  he  had  bought,  and  going  up  to 
Christian,  asked  him  to  state  the  number  in  his  possession. 
1 1  really  do  not  know,  sir,'  Mr.  Christian  replied, '  but  I 
hope  you  do  not  think  me  so  mean  as  to  be  guilty  of  steal- 
ing yours.'     '  Yes,'  said  Bligh, '  you .  hound,  I  do  think 

so.     You  must  have  stolen  them  from  me,  or  you  could 

have  given  a  better  account  of  them.     You rascals, 

you  are  all  thieves  alike,  and  combine  with  the  men  to 
rob  me.  You  will  steal  my  yams  next.  I  will  flog  you, 
and  make  you  jump  overboard  before  we  reach  Endeavor 
Straits.' 

"  He  then  called  Mr.  Samuel,  his  clerk,  ordered  him  to 
stop  the  grog,  and  only  give  half  a  pound  of  yams  to  each 
person  the  next  day,  or  a  quarter  of  a  pound  only  if  any 
were  missed.  All  the  cocoa-nuts  were  then  carried  aft, 
and  the  lieutenant  went  below. 

"  Some  of  the  officers  were  heard  to  murmur  and  com- 
plain of  such  treatment ;  but  Mr.  Christian  said  nothing, 
and  went  to  his  cabin.     In  the  evening  Lieutenant  Bligh 


BEFORE  THE  MUTINY.  39 

sent  him  an  invitation  to  sup  with  him,  which  he  declined, 
alleging  in  excuse  that  he  was  not  well." 

Thus  ended  this  miserable  day,  with  its  mean  and  triv- 
ial occurrences.  Had  they  not  been  preceded  by  a  long 
series  of  irritating  proceedings,  they  would  not  have  been 
deemed  worthy  of  remark,  and  could  only  have  been  con- 
sidered as  painful  exhibitions  of  a  suspicious  and  jealous 
temper.  But  on  this  occasion  Lieutenant  Bligh  had  made 
the  most  unwarrantable  accusations  of  falsehood  and 
theft — serious  imputations  on  the  character  of  a  gentle- 
man, and  especially  galling  and  humiliating  to  an  officer 
who  stood  next  in  command  of  the  vessel.  Occurrences 
such  as  these  contributed  their  evil  consequences  in  pro- 
ducing that  grave  and  deplorable  event  which  forms  the 
principal  subject  of  the  following  chapter. 


40  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 


CHAPTER  m. 

The  Mutiny. — Dismissal  of  Lieutenant  Bligh. — Fletcher  Christian  in  Com- 
mand.— The  Bounty  sails  for  the  Island  of  Toubouai. — Dissensions. — 
Return  to  Tahiti. — Departure  of  Fletcher  Christian  with  eight  English- 
men and  some  Tahitian  Men  and  Women. 

The  golden  hue  of  sunset  had  faded  from  the  western 
sky,  and  as  night  drew  on  the  light  breeze  which  had  pre- 
vailed died  away.  Not  a  zephyr  disturbed  the  serenity 
of  the  scene ;  the  heavens  were  gemmed  with  brilliant 
constellations  unknown  in  our  hemisphere,  and  among 
them  shone  conspicuously  the  Southern  Cross — meet  em- 
blem of  that  faith  which  teaches  good- will  to  all  men.  A 
flood  of  moonlight  illumined  the  sails  of  the  Bounty,  as 
they  flapped  idly  against  the  mast,  and  her  dark  hull  stood 
out  in  strong  relief  on  the  gleaming  waters.  So  silent,  so 
peaceful  was  the  vast  expanse,  that  it  seemed  as  if  the  war 
of  the  elements  was  forever  hushed  in  repose. 

What  a  contrast  was  there  between  the  stillness  of 
nature  and  the  terrible  conflict  raging  in  the  breast  of 
Fletcher  Christian,  as  he  paced  the  deck,  brooding  over  his 
wrongs,  and  goaded,  as  it  were,  to  madness  by  the  coarse, 
unfounded  accusations  of  the  preceding  morning !  For 
many  months  such  indignities  as  these  had  been  borne 
with  patience  and  forbearance ;  but  now  it  seemed  as  if 
endurance  had  passed  its  utmost  limits.  The  tyranny  to 
which  Christian  had  been  subjected  appeared  more  insup- 
portable on  considering  how  difficult,  how  almost  impossi- 
ble, it  would  be  for  him,  as  a  junior  officer,  to  bring  his  op- 
pressor to  a  court-martial  with  any  hope  of  success.  There 
was  but  one  mode  of  escape — and  as  he  had  observed  many 


THE  MUTINY.  41 

proofs  of  the  irritated  feelings  and  disaffection  of  the  crew, 
he  felt  certain  that  a  word  from  him  would  place  his  com- 
mander at  his  mercy.  True,  he  should  be  answerable  to 
the  laws  of  his  country — but  the  ocean  was  wide  and  the 
power  of  the  British  Government  far  away.  In  his  pres- 
ent state  of  mind  Christian  had  no  inclination  to  consider 
ultimate  consequences ;  but  still  he  did  not  form  any  defi- 
nite plan  until  an  accidental  circumstance  determined  his 
course  of  action. 

The  morning  of  the  28th  of  April,  1789,  dawned  on  a 
scene  of  confusion  and  dismay  on  board  the  ill-fated  Boun- 
ty. Stewart  and  Peter  Heywood  were  asleep  in  their 
hammocks  until,  awakened  by  an  unusual  noise  on  deck, 
they  beheld  Thompson,  one  of  the  seamen,  with  a  drawn 
cutlass  in  his  hand,  standing  at  the  door  of  the  cabin.  On 
demanding  the  reason,  he  said,  "  Mr.  Christian  has  taken 
the  vessel,  and  is  going  to  carry  Lieutenant  Bligh  as  a 
prisoner  to  England."  Peter  Heywood  hastily  dressed 
himself,  and  going  on  deck,  unhappily  found  the  informa- 
tion but  too  true. 

On  the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck,  a  little  before  the 
binnacle,  stood  Lieutenant  Bligh,  without  his  coat,  and 
with  his  hands  tied  behind  his  back,  guarded  by  Christian, 
who  was  holding  an  unsheathed  bayonet  in  one  hand  and 
a  pistol  in  the  other.  To  Bligh's  expostulations  he  replied, 
"  Ma-moo,  Ma-moo  !*  or  death  will  be  your  portion,  sir." 
Christian  then  ordered  the  boatswain  and  carpenter  to  hoist 
out  the  large  cutter,  and  beckoning  to  T.  Hayward  and 
Hallett,  who  had  both  been  neglectful  of  their  duty  in  the 
morning  watch,  ordered  the  former  into  the  boat.  "  What 
harm  have  I  ever  done  to  you,  Mr.  Christian,"  asked  Hay- 
ward,  "  that  you  should  bear  so  hard  upon  me  ?    I  trust 

*  Tahitian  for  "Silence!" 


42  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

you  will  relent."  Christian  was  inexorable,  and  gave  the 
same  order  to  Hallett,  who  was  in  tears,  and  entreated,  but 
in  vain,  that  it  might  not  be  enforced.  The  master,  Mr. 
Fryer,  and  the  clerk,  were  then  ordered  out  of  the  ship. 
The  carpenter  and  others  then  interceded  with  Christian 
for  the  launch  to  be  got  ready,  as  even  the  large  cutter 
could  not  contain  the  number  of  persons  who  were  to  go 
in  her,  together  with  the  stores  necessary  for  their  subsist- 
ence. After  a  short  parley  this  was  conceded,  and  all  hands 
were  called  to  assist  in  getting  her  out.  Among  them  was 
Morrison,  the  petty  officer,  who  says  in  his  journal  "  that 
the  master  (Mr.  Fryer),  after  speaking  to  Lieutenant  Bligh, 
came  up  to  him,  and  asked  if  he  had  been  concerned  in  the 
mutiny."  He  replied  that  he  had  not,  as  he  had  been 
awakened  by  the  unusual  noise  on  deck,  and  that  the  boat- 
swain had  come  down  to  tell  him  the  terrible  state  of  af- 
fairs. The  master  then  proposed  to  him  that  a  party 
should  be  raised  to  attempt  to  retake  the  ship.  Millward, 
Muspratt,  Birkett,  and  other  seamen  readily  assented,  but 
Churchill  and  another  mutineer,  armed  with  pistols  and 
cutlasses,  observing  them  shake  hands  together,  called  to 
their  own  party  to  stand  to  their  arms.  Resistance  was 
evidently  useless,  and  Morrison  records  that  he  felt  "  it 
was  as  well  to  assist  in  getting  out  the  launch,  as  others 
unconnected  with  the  mutiny  were  doing."  She  was  soon 
in  the  water,  and  every  man  threw  into  her  what  supplies 
he  could,  while  the  officers  were  hurried  over  the  side  of 
the  vessel. 

Mr.  Fryer,  the  master,  entreated  that  he  might  remain, 
but  Christian  ordered  him  into  the  launch,  and  forbade  any 
fire-arms  being  given  to  Bligh's  party.  The  carpenter, 
Purcell,  was  allowed  to  take  his  chest  of  tools.  Masts, 
sails,  spare  canvas,  saws,  nails,  etc.,  four  gangway  casks  of 
water,  some  bags  of  biscuit,  twenty-six  pieces  of  pork,  two 


THE  MUTINY.  43 

gourds  of  water,  and  Lieutenant  Bligh's  spirit-case,  besides 
some  bottles  of  wine,  were  then  put  into  the  launch.  By 
this  time  it  was  so  deeply  laden  as  to  be  scarcely  seven 
inches  above  the  water's  edge,  and  Bligh  implored  Chris- 
tian to  relent,  saying,  "  I'll  pawn  my  honor,  Mr.  Christian 
— I'll  give  my  word — never  to  think  of  this  if  you  will  de- 
sist.    Consider  my  wife  and  family  !" 

To  this  appeal  Christian  replied  peremptorily,  "  No, 
Captain  Bligh,  if  you  had  any  honor,  things  would  not 
have  come  to  this  extremity ;  and  if  you  had  any  regard 
for  your  wife  and  family  you  should  have  thought  of  them 
before,  and  not  behaved  so  like  a  villain  as  you  have 
done." 

The  boatswain  then  attempted  to  soften  Christian,  who 
only  said, "  No,  it  is  too  late,  Mr.  Cole ;  I  have  been  in  h — 
this  fortnight  past,  and  am  determined  to  bear  it  no  long- 
er. You  know  that  during  the  whole  voyage  I  have  been 
treated  like  a  dog." 

Bligh  then  urged  upon  Christian  that  the  master  might 
be  allowed  to  remain,  and  also  some  of  the  men  who  had 
been  ordered  into  the  launch,  as  she  was  so  low  in  the  wa- 
ter. "  The  men  may  remain,  sir,"  was  Christian's  answer, 
"  but  the  master  must  go  with  you." 

Bligh  then  addressed  them,  and  said,  "  Never  mind,  my 
boys ;  you  can't  all  go  with  me,  but  I  will  do  you  justice 
if  ever  I  reach  England." 

The  boatswain,  on  leaving  the  vessel,  was  reminded  by 
Morrison,  his  relative,  of  Bligh's  promise,  as  he  had  intend- 
ed to  take  his  chance  on  board  the  vessel,  and  the  reply 
was, "  God  bless  you,  my  boy !  but  for  my  wife  and  chil- 
dren, I  would  remain  also." 

All  being  ready,  Lieutenant  Bligh's  hands  were  released, 
and  he  was  ordered  into  the  boat.  He  had  been  allowed 
to  take  his  clothes,  his  commission,  private  journal,  and 


44  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

pocket-book.  Christian  then  handed  over  the  side,  and 
placed  in  Bligh's  hands,  a  book  of  nautical  tables  and  his 
own  sextant,  saying,  "  That  book,  sir,  is  sufficient  for  every 
purpose,  and  you  know  my  sextant  to  be  a  good  one." 

The  launch  was  then  veered  astern  and  cast  adrift,  and 
her  crew  took  to  their  oars.  There  was  little  wind,  and 
the  sea  was  calm  and  waveless.  It  was  then  8  a.m.,  and 
the  nearest  land  about  eight  or  ten  leagues  distant. 
Bligh's  vows  of  vengeance  as  he  left  the  ship  reached  the 
ears  of  many  on  board,  and  many  were  his  indiscriminate 
accusations  involving  the  innocent  and  the  guilty.  He 
was  heard  to  be  especially  severe  with  regard  to  his  young 
charge,  Peter  Heywood,  who,  he  said,  "  ought  to  have 
raised  a  party  in  his  favor,  and  retaken  the  vessel."  In 
the  first  instance,  however,  neither  Bligh  nor  any  of  his 
people  ever  made  the  least  resistance,  or  attempted  to 
seize  the  arms,  and  the  mutiny  was  so  sudden  and  so  soon 
over,  that  it  was  not  possible  for  any  one,  much  less  a 
young  boy,  to  make  any  attempt  at  rescue. 

As  soon  as  the  launch  was  gone,  orders  were  given  for 
all  those  who  were  detained  in  the  ship  to  be  released, 
among  whom  were  Stewart  and  Peter  Heywood.  The 
latter  had  gone  below  with  Stewart,  to  collect  some 
clothes,  by  his  friend's  advice,  and  to  accompany  him  in 
the  launch.  "  Do  not  think  of  remaining,"  said  Stewart ; 
"  if  you  do,  you  will  bear  an  equal  amount  of  guilt  with 
the  mutineers,  although  you  have  had  no  hand  in  the  mu- 
tiny." When  they  attempted  to  return  on  deck  Thomp- 
son, by  Churchill's  orders,  presented  a  pistol  at  Stewart's 
breast,  ordering  him  to  remain  below.  Stewart  then  hail- 
ed Churchill,  and  said,  "  If  you  will  not  let  us  go,  I  de- 
sire you  will  inform  the  captain  that  we  are  detained  by 
force."  The  reply  was,  "Aye,  aye,  sir,"  but  the  message 
was  not  delivered.     Upon  returning  on  deck,  Stewart  de- 


CHRISTIAN'S  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  MUTINY.  45 

manded  of  Christian  the  reason  for  his  detention,  who  de- 
nied having  given  any  orders  to  that  effect ;  but  Churchill 
said  he  "  had  kept  Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr.  Heywood  below, 
to  prevent  their  going  with  Lieutenant  Bligh  in  the 
launch ;"  and  added,  "  If  any  thing  should  happen  to  you, 
Mr.  Christian,  there  would  be  no  one  else  to  depend  upon 
for  navigating  the  ship." 

Christian  afterwards  gave  these  two  young  officers  the 
following  account  of  this  strange  outbreak:  He  said  he 
had  borne  much  from  Bligh,  but  the  late  accusations  of 
theft  had  wounded  his  feelings  so  much  that  in  despera- 
tion he  determined  to  leave  the  ship,  and  with  this  view 
constructed  a  small  raft  of  some  pieces  of  wood  tied  to- 
gether to  a  stout  plank.  Two  or  three  persons  were 
aware  of  this  intention,  among  whom  were  the  steward 
and  Thomas  Hayward.  He  finally  put  some  food,  nails, 
beads,  and  other  things  into  a  bag  given  him  by  Thomas 
Hayward  for  that  purpose  (which  Morrison  observed,  as 
he  had  made  the  bag  for  Hayward) ;  and  thus  provided, 
he  intended  to  leave  during  either  the  first  or  the  middle 
watch,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  some  of  the  islands  not  far 
distant;  but  the  ship  was  making  no  way  through  the 
water,  and  people  were  moving  about  the  deck,  so  that  no 
opportunity  for  escape  offered.  He  had  lain  down  to  rest 
&bout  half-past  three  in  the  morning,  feeling  very  unwell, 
when  Stewart  called  him  to  take  the  morning  watch,  and 
at  the  same  time  strongly  recommended  him  to  desist 
from  all  further  attempts  to  leave  the  ship.  Soon  after- 
wards he  went  on  deck,  and  finding  Hayward  asleep  be- 
tween the  guns,  and  Hallett  not  having  made  his  appear- 
ance, the  idea  presented  itself  that  he  should  take  posses- 
sion of  the  vessel.  He  rushed  down,  communicated  with 
some  of  the  seamen  who  had  been  flogged  by  Bligh — who 
at  once  joined  him  with  two  or  three  others,  seven  in  all — 


46  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

and  by  an  artifice  they  obtained  from  Churchill  the  keys 
of  the  arm-chest.  At  this  juncture  they  found  Hallett 
asleep  on  the  main  hatchway,  and  sent  him  on  deck, 
where  Norman,  one  of  the  seamen,  was  watching  the  mo- 
tions of  a  shark  round  the  vessel,  and  had  awakened  T. 
Hay  ward,  the  midshipman  of  the  watch,  to  observe  it. 
Christian  and  his  confederates  now  appeared  on  deck  arm- 
ed, after  having  placed  arms  in  the  hands  of  several  men 
below,  who  were  quite  unaware  of  their  design.  Lieuten- 
ant Bligh  was  then  brought  up  from  his  cabin,  and  a  guard 
placed  over  the  cabin  of  the  master,  the  gunner  and  bot- 
anist being  also  under  the  charge  of  two  sentinels.  Thus, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  hours,  the  whole  state  of  affairs  was 
changed  on  board  the  Bounty. 

Lieutenant  Bligh  having  been  dismissed  so  summarily, 
the  command  naturally  devolved  upon  Christian  as  next 
in  rank. 

But  Christian  himself  was  a  changed  man.  A  reaction 
had  taken  place ;  passion  and  resentment  had  cooled.  He 
stood  with  his  arms  folded  in  moody  thought,  and  with 
his  eyes  riveted  on  the  departing  boat.  Nor  was  it  mat- 
ter for  surprise  that  such  should  have  been  the  case. 
What  would  be  the  result  of  the  mutiny  to  himself? 
Degradation ;  and,  should  he  ever  fall  into  the  hands  of 
his  countrymen,  the  death  of  a  felon.  This  rash  act  had, 
reduced  him  to  a  level  with  the  worst  and  the  lowest  of 
his  companions,  and  doomed  him  to  a  life  of  exile  from  all 
civilized  society.  Alas  for  him,  that  there  had  not  been 
some  friend  at  hand  to  have  pointed  out  to  him  the  fatal 
consequences  of  such  a  crime :  the  wide-spread  anguish  it 
would  occasion  to  so  many  families ;  the  misery  and  dis- 
grace to  his  own;  and  who  also  could  have  urged  upon 
him  the  solemn  warning,  that  it  is  not  for  man  to  avenge 
his  own   wrongs !      Thus  might  this  unfortunate  young 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  MUTINEERS.  47 

man  have  been  saved  from  the  abyss  of  ruin  into  which 
he  had  so  recklessly  plunged,  and  in  which  all,  more  or 
less,  were  hopelessly  involved. 

The  men  raised  the  cry — a  Hurrah  for  Tahiti !"  the  ship 
wore  round  and  Christian  roused  himself  from  his  painful 
reflections.  The  die  was  cast;  all  that  had  been  done 
was  irrevocable,  and  it  was  essential  for  his  own  and  the 
common  weal  that  he  should  assume  command  and  main- 
tain discipline. 

Instead  of  Tahiti  he  ordered  the  vessel  to  be  steered  for 
the  small  island  of  Toubouai,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
28th  of  May.  It  appeared  a  very  fertile  island,  wooded 
almost  to  the  water's  edge,  and  surrounded  by  coral  reefs. 
Among  these  there  was  but  one  opening — that  described 
by  Captain  Cook — through  which  a  vessel  might  be  warp- 
ed and  moored  close  to  the  shore.  The  natives  were  as- 
sembled in  great  numbers  as  the  vessel  approached,  arm- 
ed with  clubs  and  spears,  and  vehemently  blowing  their 
conch-shells.  Their  aspect  was  so  savage,  and  they  seem- 
ed so  determined  to  oppose  a  landing,  that  Christian 
thought  it  as  well  for  the  time  being  to  give  up  the  at- 
tempt to  form  a  settlement  there,  and  he  gave  orders  to 
change  the  course  of  the  vessel  for  Tahiti.  He  also  di- 
rected that  the  ship  should  be  cleared  of  all  the  young 
bread-fruit  trees,  which  were  accordingly  thrown  over- 
board, and  he  appropriated  to  himself  the  captain's  cabin, 
which  was  filled  with  all  the  curiosities  collected  during 
the  voyage,  and  which  he  intended  to  use  as  articles  of 
barter. 

The  mutineers  had  no  sooner  freed  themselves  from  the 
odious  tyranny  of  one  man  than  they  became  tyrants  to 
one  another,  and  those  who  had  taken  no  part  in  the  muti- 
ny were  oppressed  and  regarded  with  especial  dislike  and 
suspicion.     Some  had  endeavored  to  form  a  plot  to  retake 


48  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

the  ship,  but  their  arrangements  having  been  overheard, 
the  arm-chest  was  removed  from  the  care  of  Colman  into 
the  great  cabin,  and  the  key  given  to  Churchill,  whose 
bedding  was  placed  on  the  chest  itself  for  security.  But 
though  Christian  might  be  considered  strict  in  the  main- 
tenance of  discipline,  he  never  lost  the  respect  of  any  one 
on  board,  and  was  invariably  addressed  and  spoken  of  as 
"Mr.  Christian." 

All  the  clothes  left  by  the  officers  and  crew  who  accom- 
panied Lieutenant  Bligh,  and  the  different  curiosities  and 
articles  of  barter,  Christian  ordered  to  be  divided  by  lot 
among  all  hands  on  board,  to  make  what  use  of  them  they 
pleased,  as  he  intended  returning  to  Toubouai  after  collect- 
ing live-stock  at  Tahiti. 

They  landed  in  Maatavaye  Bay  the  6th  of  June,  1789, 
the  thirty-ninth  day  from  that  of  the  mutiny,  and  the  na- 
tives of  Tahiti  soon  flocked  on  board  the  Bounty,  delight- 
ed to  see  their  old  friends,  particularly  Christian,  to  whom 
they  were  as  partial  as  to  Captain  Cook,  while  Lieutenant 
Bligh  was  held  by  them  in  contempt  and  detestation. 
The  speedy  return  of  the  ship  was  a  matter  of  great  sur- 
prise ;  they  were  acute  enough  to  know  she  could  not 
have  returned  from  England,  as  they  had  frequently  heard 
of  its  great  distance.  By  way  of  ingratiating  himself  with 
the  islanders,  and  inducing  them  to  barter  freely,  Bligh 
had  represented  himself  as  the  son  of  Captain  Cook,  whom 
they  regarded  with  great  affection,  and  of  this  artifice 
Christian  availed  himself  in  answering  their  numerous  in- 
quiries as  to  the  absence  of  the  rest  of  the  officers  and 
men.  He  replied  that  they  had  met  Captain  Cook,  who 
took  those  people  on  board,  and  dispatched  him  back  in 
the  Bounty  to  collect  live-stock  and  other  provisions. 
The  unsuspicious  islanders  gave  full  credence  to  the  story, 
and  were  willing  to  barter  to  any  extent,  as  Christian  had 


ATTEMPT  AT  FOMMINQ  A  SETTLEMENT.  49 

always  treated  them  with  great  kindness,  and  given  the 
full  value  for  whatever  was  required.  The  armorer  was 
incessantly  employed  polishing  and  improving  the  stock 
of  iron  articles  on  board,  as  they  were  greatly  in  request 
among  the  natives. 

By  the  16th  of  June,  1789,  hogs,  goats,  and  fowls  had 
been  collected  in  great  numbers,  some  dogs  and  cats ;  and 
even,  for  a  few  red  feathers,  the  bull  and  cow  which  Cap- 
tain Cook  had  left,  and  upon  which  they  set  no  value, 
were  placed  at  Christian's  disposal.  With  these,  and  a 
quantity  of  provisions  for  present  use,  he  prepared  to  put 
to  sea.  There  were  on  board  after  sailing,  nine  Tahitian 
men,  twelve  women,  and  eight  boys.  Most  of  them  had 
secreted  themselves  about  the  ship,  and  only  made  their 
appearance  when  she  was  out  at  sea.  They  were  urgent 
to  remain  on  board,  and  Christian,  unwilling  to  return,  be- 
ing a  considerable  distance  from  Tahiti,  was  induced  to 
yield  to  their  entreaties. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  after  a  very  rough  passage,  which 
killed  several  of  their  live-stock,  and  among  them  the  fine 
bull,  they  arrived  at  Toubouai. 

The  natives  on  this  occasion  evinced  a  more  friendly 
spirit,  although  the  sudden  change  seemed  unaccountable; 
and  they  even  assisted  in  the  long  and  laborious  task  of 
warping  the  ship  through  the  narrow  opening  in  the  reef 
(which  has  been  mentioned),  to  a  kind  of  natural  quay. 
Landing  the  animals  and  the  stores  occupied  several  days, 
and  the  Tahitian  people,  speaking  a  similar  dialect  to  that 
of  Toubouai,  were  of  great  assistance,  as  they  soon  under- 
stood the  language,  and  for  a  time  promoted  a  good  un- 
derstanding among  all  parties.  Christian,  however,  had 
much  difficulty  in  coming  to  terms  with  any  of  the  chiefs 
for  the  purchase  of  land  suitable  for  the  fort  he  proposed 
to  erect.     One  was  very  friendly,  and  offered  any  portion 

3 


50  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

of  his  land  Christian  would  wish  to  possess.  He  accord- 
ingly chose  a  spot  four  miles  to  the  eastward  of  the  en- 
trance between  the  reefs.  In  spite  of  the  shoal  water  and 
of  the  rocks,  he  determined  to  haul  the  ship  up  there — a 
truly  herculean  task,  as  the  water  was  very  shallow,  and 
there  were  no  means  of  carrying  any  warps  and  anchors, 
the  largest  boat  left  belonging  to  the  Bounty  being  only 
a  light  cutter  twenty  feet  long.  By  lightening  the  ship, 
landing  every  article  that  it  was  possible  to  remove,  and 
emptying  the  water-casks,  they  at  last  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing her  up  to  the  desired  position. 

Parties  of  men  were  soon  formed  to  fell  timber,  and  an 
armed  guard  accompanied  them.  Christian  again  made  a 
fair  division  among  the  Englishmen  of  all  the  cloth  and 
red  feathers  they  had  brought  from  Tahiti  for  barter,  to- 
gether with  the  much  coveted  iron-work.  As  soon  as  the 
size  of  the  fort  was  marked  out,  and  the  walls  commenced, 
a  ditch  twenty  feet  deep  was  dug  around  it — a  task  of  im- 
mense labor — in  which  Christian  took  his  part  as  contin- 
uously as  any  of  the  rest.  He  proposed  to  place  on  the 
parapet  the  armament  of  the  Bounty,  consisting  of  four 
four-pouuders  and  ten  swivels;  but  all  t^ds  was  not  ac- 
complished without  determined  opposition  on  the  part  of 
the  islanders.  There  were  frequent  battles,  in  one  of 
which  Christian  and  another  man  were  severely  wounded, 
and  a  number  of  the  natives  slain. 

A  new  obstacle  now  arose  to  thwart  Christian's  plans. 
Those  of  the  Bounty's  people  who  felt  innocent  of  com- 
plicity in  the  mutiny  declared  their  intention  not  to  pass 
their  lives  in  the  island.  In  fact,  Christian  had  been  pri- 
vately informed  of  a  plot,  in  which  Morrison,  Stewart,  and 
Petei  Heywood  were  concerned,  to  lay  in  water  and  pro- 
vision by  night,  and  escape  in  the  cutter.  It  was  well  for 
them  that  they  were  unable  lo  carry  out  their  perilous 


MORRISON'S  JOURNAL :— RETURN  TO  TAHITI.  51 

enterprise,  and  that  their  release  was  brought  about  with- 
out danger  to  themselves  or  others. 

On  all  sides  there  were  discontents  and  murmurings 
arising  principally  from  difficulties  in  the  way  of  inter- 
course with  the  natives,  and  Christian  would  not  counte- 
nance any  violence  towards  them.*  He  had,  unfortunate- 
ly, to  deal  with  a  number  of  ignorant,  reckless  seamen, 
who  considered  then — and  even  in  this  enlightened  age 
the  same  idea  is  too  prevalent — that  people  of  color  have 
no  rights  of  any  kind,  and  that  what  they  possess  may  be 
taken  by  force,  without  any  scruple  or  recompense.  Find- 
ing at  length  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  maintain  the 
settlement  in  the  disorganized  state  of  affairs  then  exist- 
ing, Christian  assembled  the  whole  party  on  the  10th  of 
'September,  to  ascertain  their  feelings  as  to  future  proceed- 
ings. The  general  expression  was  a  desire  to  return  to 
Tahiti,  and  there  separate ;  but  this  proposal  was  over- 
ruled, after  much  discussion.  The  next  day,  however,  the 
subject  was  renewed,  and  a  show  of  hands  called  for,  when 
sixteen  declared  for  the  return  to  Tahiti. 

We  will  here  again  recur  to  Mr.  Morrison's  journal,  in 
which  he  says : 

"  It  was  agreed  that  those  who  went  on  shore  at  Tahiti 
should  have  arms,  ammunition,  and  part  of  every  thing  on 
board.  The  ship  to  be  left  in  charge  of  Mr.  Christian,  in 
a  proper  condition  to  go  to  sea,  with  the  sails,  tackle,  and 
furniture.  Every  thing  being  settled,  we  began  to  get 
ready  for  sea,  filling  the  water-casks,  and  bending  the 
sails. 


*  Misunderstandings,  no  doubt,  arose  from  the  live-stock  having  been 
turned  adrift  on  landing :  and  the  goats,  finding  their  way  to  the  yam  and 
taro  plantations,  would  necessarily  do  much  injury  to  these  important  ar- 
ticles of  food,  of  which  the  Toubouaians  were  careful  and  laborious  culti- 
vators. 


52  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"A  party  was  now  sent  to  collect  stock  and  search  for 
the  cow,  which  had  not  been  seen  since  they  landed.  But 
the  natives  set  upon  them,  beat  them  severely,  and  sent 
them  back  to  the  fort. 

"On  the  13th,  as  the  party  had  returned  without  their 
errand,  Mr.  Christian  ordered  twenty  men  to  be  armed  to 
go  in  quest  of  stock  and  to  chastise  the  offenders,  taking 
with  them  the  nine  Tahiti  men  and  the  boys,  one  of  whom 
always  carried  the  Union  Jack.  About  a  mile  from  the 
landing-place  they  were  surrounded  by  about  700  of  the 
natives,  who  had  formed  an  ambush,  into  which  they  fell. 
The  natives  were  all  armed  with  clubs,  spears,  and  stones, 
and  fought  with  more  fury  than  judgment,  otherwise  our 
whole  party  must  have  fallen  into  their  hands.  After 
many  obstinate  and  furious  efforts  they  gave  ground,  re- 
tired with  great  loss,  and  the  stock  was  collected  without 
further  trouble. 

"  On  the  1 4th  we  killed  the  cow,  which  proved  excellent 
eating,  and  this  evening  came  on  board  the  young  chief  of 
Taroa-meina,  and  two  of  his  friends,  who  informed  us  that 
sixty  men  had  been  killed  in  the  fight,  and  six  women 
who  had  been  supplying  them  with  stones.  Among  the 
men  several  of  note,  one  the  brother  of  a  chief,  had  been 
shot  by  Mr.  Christian  himself.  Our  visitor  said  he  had 
been  so  much  Mr.  Christian's  friend,  that  if  he  staid  on 
shore  he  should  be  killed.  Christian  told  him  he  was  go- 
ing to  Tahiti,  at  which  he  seemed  rejoiced,  and  asked  if  he 
would  let  him  and  his  two  friends  go  with  him.  Christian 
agreed,  and  they  expressed  much  satisfaction. 

"Having  filled  sufficient  fresh  water,  we  weighed  our 
anchors  on  the  17th  of  September,  and  dropped  down  to 
the  opening  without  much  trouble,  the  ship  being  much 
lighter  than  before.  When  clear  of  the  reef  we  lay  by, 
and  filled  salt  water  to  keep  her  on  her  legs,  and  at  noon 
made  sail,  leaving  Toubouai  well  stocked  with  hogs,  goats, 
fowls,  dogs,  and  cats. 

"  When  we  first  met  the  natives  we  judged  from  their 
savage  appearance  that  they  were  cannibals ;  but  we  found 


MORRISON '  8  JO  URNAL  .—SEPARA  TION. 


53 


that  although  they  had  no  animals  on  the  island,  and  lived 
only  on  fruit,  vegetables,  and  fish,  they  detested  the  idea 
of  eating  human  flesh. 

"We  stood  to  the  n.n.b.  with  a  fine  breeze  and  fine 
weather.  During  the  passage  Colman  was  employed  in 
making  iron-work  for  barter. 

"  On  the  20th  we  made  the  island  Mytea,  under  which 
we  hove  to  and  divided  the  trade,  ammunition,  arms,  wine, 
slops,  etc.,  etc.,  in  lots,  which  were  put  into  the  cabin  for 
safety  till  the  ship  should  come  to  anchor.  On  the  21st 
we  bore  away,  and  anchored  On  the  22 d  of  September, 
1789,  in  Maatavaye  Bay,  where,  every  thing  being  settled, 
the  following  persons  prepared  to  go  on  shore : 


George  Stewart Midshipman. 

Peter  Hey  wood Midshipman. 

Joseph  Colman Armorer. 

Charles  Churchill Master-at-arms. 

James  Morrison Boatswain's  mate. 

Charles  Norman Carpenter's  mate. 

Henry  Heildbrandt. .  .Cooper. 
Thomas  Birkett Able-bodied. 


John  Sumner Able-bodied. 

Michael  Byrne 

Thomas  Ellison 

E.  Skinner 

M.  Thompson 

W.  Muspratt 

T.  M'Intosh 

T.Millward 


"  Those  who  remained  on  board  were : 


Fletcher  Christian Acting  lieuten't. 

John  Mills Gunner's  mate. 

Isaac  Martin Able-bodied. 

William  Brown Gardener. 

Edward  Young* Midshipman. 


William  M'Koy Able-bodied. 

John  Williams "         " 

Matthew  Quintal "         " 

Alexander    Smtth,   alias\     u         lt 
John  Adams ) 


and  with  them  the  young  Toubouaian  chief  and  his  two 
friends,  who  had  become  so  fond  of  Christian  they  would 
not  leave  him.  Three  Tahitian  men,  with  their  wives,  also 
joined  the  party,  and  one  of  the  women  took  with  her  her 
infant  daughter  ten  month sf  old  ;  in  all  twenty-eight  per- 
sons determined  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  Christian. 


*  It  is  singular  that  Edward  Young  should  have  preferred  to  accompany 
Christian.  He  had  remained  passive  during  the  mutiny,  and  even  when 
the  uproar  on  deck  took  so  many  by  surprise  who  had  been  asleep  in  their 
hammocks,  and  who  naturally  went  up  to  ascertain  the  cause,  Edward 
Young  was  not  seen  by  any  one ;  nor  did  he  make  his  appearance  until 
the  ship  was  turned  about  and  was  steering  for  Toubouai. 

t  This  little  girl  will  be  mentioned  again  in  the  course  of  the  narrative. 


54  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"As  soon  as  the  ship  came  to  an  anchor,  those  for  the 
shore  began  to  land  their  chests,  hammocks,  etc.,  but  hav- 
ing only  one  boat  that  would  swim,  and  a  tolerable  high 
surf  going,  it  was  night  before  we  all  got  off,  being  afraid 
to  venture  many  at  a  time  in  the  cauoes  of  the  natives, 
though  they  made  a  much  better  hand  of  landing  in  the 
surf  than  we  could  do  in  the  boat.  As  we  were  fearful  of 
the  canoes,  we  were  forced  to  wait  for  the  boat  returning 
to  carry  the  ammunition,  which  was  not  landed  until  ev- 
ery thing  else  was  on  shore,  and  then  only  two  men's 
stores  at  a  time. 

"  Having  landed  our  baggage,  etc.,  we  found  the  Tahi- 
tians  ready  to  receive  us  with  every  mark  of  hospitality ; 
the  whole  of  them  striving  to  outdo  each  other  in  civility 
and  kindness  towards  us,  and  all  were  glad  when  we  said 
that  we  had  come  to  stay  with  them. 

"Among  the  things  we  carried  on  shore  were  carpen- 
ters' tools,  and  part  of  those  belonging  to  the  armorer,  a 
pig  of  iron  for  an  anvil,  a  grindstone,  some  bar-iron,  a  suit 
of  clothes,  some  iron  pots,  a  copper  kettle,  and  about  three 
gallons  of  wine  per  man.  Each  man,  except  Byrne  (who 
was  blind),  had  a  musket,  pistol,  cutlass,  bayonet,  car- 
tridge-box, seventeen  charges  of  powder,  a  quantity  of 
lead  whereof  to  make  bullets,  and  some  spare  belts.  Hav- 
ing a  musquetoon  and  two  muskets  to  spare,  the  former 
was  kept  under  my  care,  and  the  muskets  fell  by  lot  to 
Charles  Norman  and  Thomas  Birkett.  We  asked  for  the 
saws,  of  which  there  were  a  '  whip '  and  '  cross '  in  the 
ship,  but  as  Mr.  Christian  wanted  them  himself  he  gave 
some  trade  in  lieu,  also  two  spy-glasses  and  an  old  azimuth 
compass.  He  also  told  us  to  take  the  swivels  on  shore, 
but  we  declined,  as  they  could  be  of  no  use.  The  canvas 
and  sails,  which  he  said  we  should  not  want,  were  however 
divided  among  us,  and  two  Toubouaian  images  which  we 
had  brought  from  the  island  were  put  into  my  hands  as  a 
present  for  the  young  king. 

"  Mr.  Christian  told  us  he  would  stay  a  day  or  two,  and 
hoped  we  would  assist  him  to  fill  some  water,  as  he  in- 


DEPARTURE  OF  THE  BOUNTY.  55 

tended  cruising  about  in  search  of  some  uninhabited  isl- 
and, where  he  would  land  his  stock  (of  which  a  large 
number  were  on  board,  together  with  the  plants  common 
to  all  these  islands),  and  where  he  hoped  to  live  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days,  without  seeing  the  face  of  any  Euro- 
pean, except  those  who  accompanied  him. 

"  Having  made  Poeno  (one  of  the  chiefs  of  Maatavaye 
Bay)  my  friend,  and  Millward  also  having  done  the  same, 
we  went  to  live  with  him,  and  were  treated  as  members 
of  his  family  ;  but  with  more  attention  and  respect.  The 
others  also  went  to  the  houses  of  their  friends,  where  they 
were  treated  in  like  manner. 

"At  daylight  on  the  23d  of  September,  we  found  the 
ship  under  weigh,  and  standing  out  of  the  bay ;  but  it 
proving  calm  she  was  not  out  of  sight  until  noon,  at 
which  time  she  stood  out  to  the  northward  on  a  wind. 
We.  were  surprised  to  see  the  ship  gone,  as  Mr.  Christian 
had  said  he  intended  staying  a  day  or  two;  but  we 
thought  that  perhaps  he  was  afraid  of  remaining  at  Tahiti, 
in  case  of  detection,  and  also  lest  some  of  the  people 
might  desert  him  if  he  did  so." 

Christian,  however,  had  landed,  and  spent  some  hours 
with  Stewart  and  Peter  Hey  wood  at  the  house  of  the 
worthy  chief  who  had  been  their  friend  on  the  two  former 
visits  to  Tahiti,  and  whose  property  was  situated  on  the 
bay  near  the  landing-place.  As  the  day  began  to  dawn, 
he  prepared  for  departure,  and  Stewart  and  his  young 
friend  accompanied  him  to  the  beach  ;  when  a  conversa- 
tion took  place  to  the  following  effect :  Christian  said, 
that  in  the  event  of  Bligh  reaching  England  in  safety, 
and  making  known  to  the  authorities  what  had  happened, 
a  ship  of  war  would  certainly  be  sent  out  in  search  of  the 
Bounty,  and  the  remainder  of  the  ship's  company.  In  any 
case  search  would  be  made,  if  no  intelligence  of  the  expe- 
dition was  received  in  England  within  a  reasonable  peri- 


56  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

od.  He  earnestly  advised  the  young  men  to  go  off  at 
once  to  any  ship  of  war  that  might  appear,  and  give  them- 
selves np  to  the  commander.  "  You  are  both  innocent," 
he  said,  "  no  harm  can  come  to  you,  for  you  took  no  part 
in  the  mutiny."  Then  turning  to  young  Hey  wood,  he  re- 
capitulated all  the  events  connected  with  "  that  unfortu- 
nate disaster,"  as  he  termed  it ;  and  again  declared  that 
when  Stewart  came  to  call  him  to  relieve  the  watch  on 
the  fatal  morning  of  the  mutiny,  and  he  went  on  deck, 
his  brain  seemed  on  fire,  and  finding  Thomas  Hayward 
asleep,  and  Hallett  not  yet  up  on  duty,  the  idea  of  taking 
the  ship  then  first  entered  his  mind."  He  added  emphat- 
ically that  he  alone  was  responsible  for  the  act,  and  exon- 
erated all,  even  his  adherents,  from  so'  much  as  suggesting 
it.  Christian  also  related  other  circumstances  in  connec- 
tion with  the  mutiny,  which  young  Heywood  was  to  com- 
municate to  his  (Christian's)  family,  when  he  returned  to 
England ;  circumstances,  he  thought,  which  might  ex- 
tenuate, though  they  could  not  justify,  the  crime  he  had 
committed  against  the  laws  of  his  country.* 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  last  conversation,  Christian 
stepped  into  the  boat,  and  took  a  final  leave  of  his  young 
friends.  Mingled  feelings  of  regret  and  pity  towards  their 
misguided  shipmate  caused  them  to  linger  long  on  the 
beach  as  they  watched  the  departing  vessel,  until,  stand- 
ing in  a  northerly  direction,  she  disappeared  on  the  dis- 
tant horizon. 

*  Many  years  after  the  date  of  these  events,  the  substance  of  this  con- 
versation was  related  in  a  letter  from  Captain  Heywood  to  Captain 
Beechy,  who  had  submitted  to  him  that  portion  of  the  voyage  of  the 
Blossom  which  related  to  Pitcairn ;  and  Captain  Heywood  pointed  out 
the  inaccuracies  in  the  statement  of  John  Adams  (Alexander  Smith)  rela- 
tive to  the  mutiny — no  doubt  unintentional. 


BLIGHT  BOAT  VOYAGE. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Lieutenant  Bligh's  Boat -voyage. — Arrival  in  England. — Correspond- 
ence.— H.M.S.  Pandora  dispatched  to  Tahiti. 

On  his  dismissal  from  the  Bounty,  Lieutenant  Bligh 
was  compelled  to  make  his  way  as  best  he  could  to  the 
main  land.  He  kept  a  journal,  in  which  he  described  the 
perils  and  hardships  endured  by  himself  and  his  eighteen 
companions  on  their  voyage  in  the  launch.  Some  extracts 
from  it  may  be  interesting,  as  showing  his  skill  and  cour- 
age as  a  navigator;  his  care  in  recording  the  daily  events 
of  this  remarkable  feat  in  navigation ;  and  also  the  way 
in  which,  towards  its  termination,  he  enforced  his  com- 
mands on  men  who  had  accompanied  him  at  the  immi- 
nent risk  of  their  lives : 

"My  first  determination,"  he  says,  "after  leaving  the 
ship,  was  to  seek  a  supply  of  bread-fruit  and  water  at  To- 
foa,  and  afterwards  to  sail  for  Tongataboo,  and  there  risk 
a  solicitation  to  Poulaho,  the  king,  to  equip  our  boat,  and 
grant  us  a  supply  of  water  and  provisions,  so  as  to  enable 
us  to  reach  the  East  Indies.  The  quantity  of  provisions  I 
found  in  the  boat  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of 
bread,  sixteen  pieces  of  pork — each  piece  weighing  two 
pounds — six  quarts  of  rum,  six  bottles  of  wine,  with  twen- 
ty-eight gallons  of  water,  and  four  empty  barricos  (small 
barrels). 

"  We  reached  Tofoa  when  it  was  dark,  but  found  the 
shore  so  steep  and  rocky  that  we  could  not  land.  We 
were  obliged,  therefore,  to  remain  all  night  in  the  boat, 
keeping  it  on  the  lee  side  of  the  island  with  two  oars. 
Next   day  (Wednesday,  April   29th)    we   found   a  cove, 

3* 


58  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

where  we  landed.  I  observed  the  latitude  of  this  cove  to 
be  19  degrees  41  minutes  south.  This  is  the  north-west 
part  of  Tofoa,  the  north- westernmost  of  the  Friendly  Isl- 
ands. As  I  was  resolved  to  spare  the  small  stock  of  pro- 
visions we  had  in  the  boat,  we  endeavored  to  procure 
something  towards  our  support  on  the  island  itself.  For 
two  days  we  ranged  through  the  island  in  parties,  seeking 
for  water,  and  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  provisions,  sub- 
sisting in  the  mean  while  on  morsels  of  what  we  had 
brought  with  us.  The  island  seemed  at  first  uninhabited, 
but  on  Friday,  May  1st,  one  of  our  exploring  parties  met 
with  two  men,  a  woman,  and  a  child :  the  men  came  with 
them  to  the  cove,  and  brought  two  cocoa-nut  shells  of 
water. 

"  I  endeavored  to  make  friends  of  these  people,  and  sent 
them  away  for  bread-fruit,  plaintains,  and  water.  Soon  af- 
ter, other  natives  came  to  us,  and  by  noon  there  were  thir- 
ty about  us,  from  whom  we  obtained  a  small  supply.  I 
was  much  puzzled  in  what  manner  to  account  to  the  na- 
tives for  the  loss  of  my  ship.  I  knew  they  had  too  much 
sense  to  be  amused  with  a  story  that  the  ship  was  to  join 
me,  when  she  was  not  in  sight  from  the  hills.  I  was  at 
first  doubtful  whether  I  should  tell  the  real  fact,  or  say 
that  the  ship  had  overset  and  sunk,  and  that  we  only  were 
saved :  the  latter  appeared  to  be  the  most  proper  and  ad- 
vantageous for  us,  and  I  accordingly  instructed  my  people, 
that  we  might  all  agree  in  the  story.  As  I  expected,  in- 
quiries were  made  about  the  ship,  and  they  seemed  readi- 
ly satisfied  with  our  account ;  but  there  did  not  appear 
the  least  symptom  of  joy  or  sorrow  in  their  faces,  although 
I  fancied  I  discovered  some  marks  of  surprise. 

"Towards  evening  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  our 
stock  of  provisions  somewhat  increased,  but  the  natives  did 
not  appear  to  have  much  to  spare.  What  they  brought 
was  in  such  small  quantities,  that  I  had  no  reason  to  hope 
we  should  be  able  to  procure  from  them  sufficient  to  stock 
us  for  our  voyage.  At  night,  I  served  a  quarter  of  a 
bread-fruit  and  a  cocoa-nut   to   each   person  for  supper, 


BLIGHT  BOAT- VOYAGE.  59 

and  a  good  fire  being  made,  all  went  to  sleep  but  the 
watch. 

"Saturday,  May  2d. — As  there  was  no  certainty  of  our 
being  supplied  with  water  by  the  natives,  I  sent  a  party 
among  the  gullies  in  the  mountains,  with  empty  shells,  to 
see  what  could  be  found.  In  their  absence  the  natives 
came  about  us,  as  I  expected,  and  in  great  numbers ;  two 
canoes  also  came  in  from  round  the  north  side  of  the  isl- 
and. Soon  after,  some  of  the  foraging  party  returned,  and 
with  them  came  a  good-looking  chief  called  Eefow. 

"  Their  affability  was  of  short  duration,  for  the  natives 
began  to  increase  in  numbers,  and  I  observed  some  symp- 
toms of  a  design  against  us.  Soon  after  they  attempted 
to  haul  the  boat  on  shore,  on  which  I  brandished  my  cut- 
lass in  a  threatening  manner,  and  spoke  to  Eefow  to  desire 
them  to  desist,  which  they  did,  and  every  thing  became 
quiet  again.  My  people  who  had  been  in  the  mountains 
now  returned  with  about  three  gallons  of  water.  I  kept 
buying  up  the  little  bread-fruit  that  was  brought  to  us, 
and  likewise  some  spears  to  arm  my  men  with ;  having 
only  four  cutlasses,  two  of  which  were  in  the  boat.  As  we 
had  no  means  of  improving  our  situation,  I  told  our  people 
I  would  wait  till  sunset,  by  which  time,  perhaps,  something 
might  happen  in  our  favor ;  for  if  we  attempted  to  go  at 
present  we  might  have  to  fight  our  way  through^  and  we 
could  do  so  more  advantageously  at  night ;  that,  in  the 
mean  time,  we  would  endeavor  to  get  off  to  the  boat  what 
we  had  bought.  The  beach  was  lined  with  the  natives, 
and  we  heard  nothing  but  the  knocking  of  stones  together, 
which  they  had  in  each  hand.  I  knew  very  well  this  was 
the  sign  of  an  attack. 

"After  dinner,  we  began  by  little  and  little  to  get  our 
things  into  the  boat,  which  was  a  troublesome  business  on 
account  of  the  surf.  I  carefully  watched  the  motions  of 
the  natives,  who  continued  to  increase  in  number ;  and 
found  that,  instead  of  their  intention  being  to  leave  us, 
fires  were  made,  and  places  fixed  on  for  their  stay  during 
the  night.     Consultations  were  also  held  among  them,  and 


GO  TEE  MUTINEEMS  OF  TEE  BOUNTY. 

every  thing  assured  me  we  should  be  attacked.  I  sent  or- 
ders to  the  master,  that  when  he  saw  us  coming  down  he 
should  keep  the  boat  close  to  the  shore,  that  we  might  the 
more  readily  embark. 

"  The  onset  was  now  preparing ;  every  one,  as  I  have 
described  before,  kept  knocking  stones  together,  and  Eefow 
quitted  me.  All  but  two  or  three  things  were  in  the  boat, 
when  we  walked  down  to  the  beach,  every  one  in  a  kind 
of  silent  horror.  We  all  got  into  the  boat  except  one  man, 
who,  while  I  was  getting  on  board,  quitted  it,  and  ran  up 
the  beach  to  cast  the  sternfast  off,  notwithstanding  the 
master  and  others  called  to  him  to  return,  while  they  were 
hauling  me  out  of  the  water. 

"  I  was  no  sooner  in  the  boat  than  the  attack  began  by 
about  two  hundred  men;  the  unfortunate  poor  man  who 
had  run  up  the  beach  was  knocked  down,  and  the. stones 
flew  like  a  shower  of  shot.  Many  Indians  got  hold  of  the 
stern-rope,  and  were  near  hauling  the  boat  on  shore  ;  which 
they  would  certainly  have  effected,  if  I  had  not  had  a 
knife  in  my  pocket,  with  which  I  cut  the  rope.  We  then 
hauled  off  to  the  grapnel,  every  one  being  more  or  less 
hurt.  At  this  time  I  saw  five  of  the  natives  about  the 
poor  man  they  had  killed,  and  two  of  them  were  beating 
him  about  the  head  with  stones  in  their  hands. 

"  We  had  not  time  to  reflect,  for,  to  my  surprise,  they 
filled  their  canoes  with  stones,  and  twelve  men  came  off 
after  us  to  renew  the  attack  ;  which  they  did  so  effectually 
as  nearly  to  disable  us  all.  We  were  obliged  to  sustain  the 
attack  without  being  able  to  return  it,  except  with  such 
stones  as  lodged  in  our  boat.  I  adopted  the  expedient  of 
throwing  overboard  some  clothes,  which,  as  I  expected, 
they  stopped  to  pick  up ;  and,  as  it  was  by  this  time  al- 
most dark,  they  gave  over  the  attack  and  returned  towards 
the  shore,  leaving  us  to  reflect  on  our  unhappy  situation. 

"  We  now  set  our  sails,  and  steered  along  shore  by  the 
west  side  of  the  Island  of  Tofoa,  the  wind  blowing  fresh 
from  the  eastward.  My  mind  was  employed  in  consider- 
ing what  was  best  to  be  done,  when  I  was  solicited  by  all 


BLIGHT  BOAT- VOYAGE.  61 

hands  to  take  them  towards  home ;  and  on  my  telling 
them  that  no  hopes  of  relief  for  us  remained,  except  what 
might  be  found  at  New  Holland,  till  I  came  to  Timor — a 
distance  of  full  twelve  hundred  leagues,  where  there  was  a 
Dutch  settlement,  but  in  what  part  of  the  island  I  knew 
not — they  all  agreed  to  live  on  one  ounce  of  bread  and  a 
quarter  of  a  pint  of  water  per  day.  Therefore,  after  ex- 
amining our  stock  of  provisions,  and  recommending  to 
them  in  the  most  solemn  manner  not  to  depart  from  their 
promise,  we  bore  away  across  the  sea,  where  the  naviga- 
tion is  but  little  known,  in  a  small  boat,  twenty-three  feet 
long  from  stem  to  stern,  deep  laden  with  eighteen  men.  I 
was  happy,  however,  to  see  that  every  one  seemed  better 
satisfied  than  myself  with  our  situation. 

"  Our  stock  of  provisions  consisted  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds  of  bread,  twenty-eight  gallons  of 
water,  twenty  pounds  of  pork,  three  bottles  of  wine,  and 
five  quarts  of  rum.  The  difference  between  this  and  the 
quantity  we  had  on  leaving  the  ship,  was  principally  ow- 
ing to  our  loss  in  the  bustle  and  confusion  of  the  attack. 
A  few  cocoa-nuts  were  in  the  boat,  and  some  bread-fruit, 
but  the  latter  was  trampled  to  pieces. 

"Sunday,  3d. — At  day-break  the  gale  increased ;  the  sun 
rose  very  fiery  red — a  sure  indication  of  a  severe  gale  of 
wind.  At  eight  it  blew  a  violent  storm,  and  the  sea  ran 
very  high,  so  that  between  the  seas  the  sail  was  becalmed, 
and  when  on  the  top  of  the  sea,  it  was  too  much  to  have 
set;  but  we  could  not  venture  to  take  in  the  sail, for  we 
were  in  very  imminent  danger  and  distress,  the  sea  curl- 
ing over  the  stern  of  the  boat,  which  obliged  us  to  bale 
with  all  our  might.  A  situation  more  distressing  has  per- 
haps seldom  been  experienced. 

"  I  served  a  teaspoonful  of  rum  to  each  person  (for  we 
were  very  wet  and  cold),  with  a  quarter  of  a  bread-fruit, 
which  was  scarcely  eatable,  for  dinner.  Our  engagement 
was  now  strictly  to  be  carried  into  execution,  and  I  was 
fully  determined  to  make  our  provisions  last  eight  weeks, 
let  the  daily  proportion  be  ever  so  small. 


62  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"Monday,  4th. —  At  midnight  our  limbs  were  so  be- 
numbed, that  we  could  scarcely  find  the  use  of  them.  At 
this  time  I  served  a  teaspoonful  of  rum  to  each  person, 
from  which  we  all  felt  great  benefit.  Just  before  noon  we 
discovered  a  small,  flat  island,  of  a  moderate  height,  bear- 
ing w.s.w.  four  or  five  leagues. 

"  Wednesday,  6th. — We  still  kept  our  course  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  north  of  New  Holland,  passing  numerous  isl- 
ands of  various  sizes,  at  none  of  which  I  ventured  to  land. 
Our  allowance  for  the  day  was  a  quarter  of  a  pint  of  co- 
coa-nut milk,  and  the  meat,  which  did  not  exceed  two 
ounces  to  each  person.  It  was  received  very  contentedly, 
but  we  suffered  great  drought.  To  our  great  joy  we 
hooked  a  fish,  but  we  were  miserably  disappointed  by  its 
being  lost  in  trying  to  get  it  into  the  boat. 

"Thursday,  1th. — Being  very  wet  and  cold,  I  served  a 
spoonful  of  rum  and  a  morsel  of  bread  for  breakfast.  We 
still  kept  sailing  among  islands,  from  one  of  which  two 
large  canoes  put  out  in  chase  of  us ;  but  we  left  them  be- 
hind. Whether  these  canoes  had  any  hostile  intention 
against  us  must  remain  a  doubt;  perhaps  we  might  have 
been  benefited  by  an  intercourse  with  them,  but,  in  our 
defenseless  situation,  to  have  made  the  experiment  would 
have  been  risking  too  much. 

"/Saturday,  9th. — About  nine  in  the  evening  the  clouds 
began  to  gather,  and  we  had  a  prodigious  fall  of  rain,  with 
severe  thunder  and  lightning.  By  midnight  we  caught 
about  twenty  gallons  of  water.  Being  miserably  wet  and 
cold,  I  served  to  the  people  a  teaspoonful  of  rum  each,  to 
enable  them  to  bear  with  their  distressed  situation. 

"All  Sunday,  Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  Thursday, 
and  Friday,  the  wet  weather  continued,  with  heavy  seas 
and  squalls.  As  there  was  no  prospect  of  getting  our 
clothes  dried,  my  plan  was  to  make  every  one  strip,  and 
wring  them  through  the  salt-water,  by  which  means  they 
received  a  warmth  that,  while  wet  with  rain,  they  could 
not  have  had.  We  were  constantly  shipping  seas  and  bal- 
ing, and  were  very  wet  and  cold  during  the  night.     The 


BLIGH'S  BOAT -VOYAGE.  63 

sight  of  the  islands,  which  we  were  always  passing,  served 
only  to  increase  the  misery  of  our  situation.  We  were 
very  little  better  than  starving,  with  plenty  in  view ;  yet 
to  attempt  procuring  any  relief  was  attended  with  so 
much  danger,  that  prolonging  of  life,  even  in  the  midst  of 
misery,  was  thought  preferable,  while  there  remained  hopes 
of  being  able  to  surmount  our  hardships.  For  my  own 
part,  I  considered  the  general  run  of  cloudy  and  wet 
weather  to  be  a  blessing  of  Providence.  Hot  weather 
would  have  caused  us  to  have  died  of  thirst ;  and  proba- 
bly being  so  constantly  covered  with  rain  or  sea,  protect- 
ed us  from  that  dreadful  calamity. 

"Saturday,  l§th. — The  sun  breaking  out  through  the 
clouds  gave  us  hopes  of  drying  our  wet  clothes ;  but  the 
sunshine  was  of  short  duration.  We  had  strong  breezes 
at  south-east  by  south,  and  dark,  gloomy  weather,  with 
storms  of  thunder,  lightning,  and  rain.  The  night  was 
truly  horrible,  and  not  a  star  to  be  seen,  so  that  our  steer- 
age was  uncertain. 

"Sunday,  11th. — At  dawn  of  day  I  found  every  person 
complaining,  and  some  of  them  solicited  extra  allowance, 
which  I  positively  refused.  Our  situation  was  miserable ; 
always  wet,  and  suffering  extreme  cold  during  the  night, 
without  the  least  shelter  from  the  weather.  Being  con- 
stantly obliged  to  bale  to  keep  the  boat  from  filling  was 
perhaps  not  to  be  reckoned  an  evil,  as  it  gave  us  exercise. 

"Sunday,  24th. — A  fine  morning  I  had  the  pleasure  to 
see  produce  some  cheerful  countenances ;  and  the  first  time 
for' fifteen  days  past  we  experienced  comfort  from  the 
warmth  of  the  sun.  We  stripped,  and  hung  our  clothes 
up  to  dry,  which  were  by  this  time  so  threadbare  that 
they  would  not  keep  out  either  wet  or  cold. 

"  Sailing  on,  Tuesday,  Wednesday,  and  Thursday,  I  at 
length  became  satisfied  that  we  were  approaching  New 
Holland.  This  was  actually  the  case;  and  after  passing 
the  reefs  which  bound  that  part  of  the  coast  we  found 
ourselves  in  smooth  water.  Two  islands  lay  about  four 
miles  to  the  west  by  north,  and  appeared  eligible  for  a 


64  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

resting-place,  if  for  nothing  more ;  but  on  our  approach  to 
the  nearest  island  it  proved  to  be  only  a  heap  of  stones, 
and  its  size  too  inconsiderable  to  shelter  the  boat.  We 
therefore  proceeded  to  the  next,  which  was  close  to  it  and 
towards  the  main.  We  landed  to  examine  if  there  were 
any  signs  of  the  natives  being  near  us ;  we  saw  some  old 
fire-places,  but  nothing  to  make  me  apprehend  that  this 
would  be  an  unsafe  situation  for  the  night.  Every  one 
was  anxious  to  find  something  to  eat,  and  it  was  soon  dis- 
covered that  there  were  oysters  on  the  rocks,  for  the  tide 
was  out ;  but  it  was  nearly  dark,  and  only  a  few  could  be 
gathered.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  wait  till  the  morn- 
ing, when  I  should  know  better  how  to  proceed. 

"Friday,  29th. — As  there  was  no  appearance  to  make 
me  imagine  that  any  of  the  natives  were  near  us,  I  sent 
out  parties  in  search  of  supplies,  while  others  of  the  people 
were  putting  the  boat  in  order.  The  parties  returned 
highly  rejoiced  at  having  found  plenty  of  oysters  and  fresh 
water.  I  had  also  made  a  fire  by  the  help  of  a  small  mag- 
nifying-glass ;  what  was  still  more  fortunate,  we  found 
among  the  few  things  which  had  been  thrown  into  the 
boat  and  saved,  a  piece  of  brimstone  and  a  tinder-box,  so 
that  I  secured  fire  for  the  future. 

11  Sunday,  Zlst. — Many  small  islands  were  in  sight  to  the 
north-east.  We  landed  at  one  of  a  good  height,  bearing 
north  one-half  west.  The  shore  was  rocky,  but  the  water 
was  smooth,  and  we  landed  without  difficulty.  I  sent  two 
parties  out,  one  to  the  northward  and  the  other  to  the 
southward,  to  seek  for  supplies,  and  others  I  ordered  to 
stay  by  the  boat.  On  this  occasion  fatigue  and  weakness 
so  far  got  the  better  of  their  sense  of  duty  that  some  of  the 
people  expressed  their  discontent  at  having  worked  hard- 
er than  their  companions,  and  declared  that  they  would 
rather  be  without  their  dinner  than  go  in  search  of  it. 
One  person  in  particular  went  so  far  as  to  tell  me  with  a 
mutinous  look  that  he  was  as  good  a  man  as  myself.  It 
was  not  possible  for  me  to  judge  where  this  might  have 
an  end  if  not  stopped  in  time ;  therefore,  to  prevent  such 


BLIGH'S  BOAT -VOYAGE.  65 

disputes  in  future,  I  determined  either  to  preserve  my  com- 
mand or  die  in  the  attempt,  and  seizing  a  cutlass  I  order- 
ed him  to  take  hold  of  another  and  defend  himself,  on 
which  he  called  out  that  I  was  going  to  kill  him,  and  im- 
mediately made  concessions.  I  did  not  allow  this  to  in- 
terfere further  with  the  harmony  of  the  boat's  crew,  and 
every  thing  soon  became  quiet.  We  here  procured  some 
oysters  and  clams,  also  some  dog-fish  caught  in  the  holes 
of  the  rocks,  and  a  supply  of  water. 

"  Leaving  this  island,  which  I  named  Sunday  Island,  we 
continued  our  course  towards  Endeavor  Straits.  During 
our  voyage  Nelson  became  very  ill,  but  gradually  recover- 
ed. Next  day  we  landed  at  another  island,  to  see  what 
we  could  get.  There  were  proofs  that  the  island  was  oc- 
casionally visited  by  natives  from  New  Holland.  En- 
camping on  the  shore,  I  sent  out  one  party  to  watch  for 
turtle,  and  another  to  try  to  catch  birds.  About  midnight 
the  bird-party  returned  with  only  twelve  noddies,  birds 
about  the  size  of  pigeons ;  but  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
folly  and  obstinacy  of  one  of  the  party,  who  separated  from 
the  other  two  and  disturbed  the  birds,  they  might  have 
caught  a  great  number.  I  was  so  much  provoked  at  my 
plans  being  thus  defeated  that  I  gave  this  offender  a  good 
beating.  This  man  afterwards  confessed  that,  wandering 
from  his  companions,  he  had  eaten  nine  birds  raw.  Our 
turtling  party  had  no  success. 

"Tuesday  and  Wednesday  we  still  kept  our  course 
north-west,  touching  at  an  island  or  two  for  oysters  and 
clams.  We  had  now  been  six  days  on  the  coast  of  New 
Holland,  and  but  for  the  refreshment  which  our  visits  to 
its  shores  afforded  us,  it  is  all  but  certain  that  we  must 
have  perished.  Now,  however,  it  became  clear  that  we 
were  leaving  it  behind,  and  were  commencing  our  adven- 
turous voyage  through  the  open  sea  to  Timor. 

"For  six  days  our  voyage  continued;  a  dreary  repeti- 
tion of  those  sufferings  which  we  had  experienced  before 
reaching  New  Holland.  In  the  course  of  the  night  we 
were  constantly  wet  with  the  sea,  and  exposed  to  cold  and 


66  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

shiverings ;  and  in  the  day-time  we  had  no  addition  to  our 
scanty  allowance,  except  a  '  booby '  and  a  small  dolphin 
that  we  caught,  the  former  on  Friday,  5th,  and  the  latter 
on  Monday,  8th.  Many  of  us  were  ill,  and  the  men  com- 
plained heavily.  On  Wednesday,  10th,  after  a  very  com- 
fortless night,  there  was  a  visible  alteration  for  the  worse 
in  many  of  the  people,  which  gave  me  great  apprehen- 
sions. An  extreme  weakness,  swelled  legs,  hollow  and 
ghastly  countenances,  a  more  than  common  inclination 
to  sleep,  with  an  apparent  debility  of  understanding, 
seemed  to  me  the  melancholy  presages  of  an  approaching 
dissolution. 

"Thursday,  11th. — Every  one  received  the  customary 
allowance  of  bread  and  water,  and  an  extra  allowance  of 
water  was  given  to  those  who  were  most  in  need.  At 
noon  I  observed  in  latitude  9°  41'  south,  course  south  77° 
west,  distance  one  hundred  and  nine  miles ;  longitude 
made,  13°  49'  west.  I  had  little  doubt  of  having  now  pass- 
ed the  meridian  of  the  eastern  part  of  Timor,  which  is  laid 
down  in  128°  east.  This  diffused  universal  joy  and  satis- 
faction. 

"Friday,  12th. — At  three  in  the  morning,  with  an  excess 
of  joy,  we  discovered  Timor,  bearing  from  w.s.w.  to  w.n.w., 
and  I  hauled  on  a  wind  to  the  n.n.b.  till  daylight,  when 
the  land  bore  from  s.w.  by  s.  to  n.e.  by  n.  :  our  distance 
from  the  shore  being  two  leagues.  It  is  not  possible  for 
me  to  describe  the  pleasure  which  the  sight  of  this  land 
diffused  among  us.  It  appeared  scarcely  credible  to  our- 
selves that,  in  an  open  boat  and  so  poorly  provided,  we 
should  have  been  able  to  reach  the  coast  of  Timor  in  forty- 
one  days  after  leaving  Tofoa,  having  in  that  time  run,  by 
our  log, a  distance  of  3618  miles;  and  that, notwithstand- 
ing our  extreme  distress,  no  one  should  have  perished  on 
the  voyage. 

"Sunday,  14th. — At  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  after 
the  most  happy  and  sweet  sleep  that  ever  man  enjoyed,  we 
weighed,  and  continued  to  keep  the  east  coast  on  board, 
in  very  smooth  water.     The  report  of  two  cannon  that 


BLIGHT  RETURN  TO  ENGLAND.  67 

were  fired  gave  new  life  to  every  one,  and  soon  after  we 
discovered  two  square-rigged  vessels  and  a  cutter  at  an- 
chor to  the  eastward.  After  hard  rowing  we  came  to  a 
grapnel  near  daylight  off  a  small  fort  or  town,  which  the 
pilot  told  me  was  Coupang. 

"We  remained  at  Coupang  two  months,  during  which 
time  we  experienced  every  possible  kindness.  Having 
purchased  a  small  schooner,  which  I  named  H.M.  schooner 
Resource,  I  and  the  crew  set  off  for  Batavia.  We  reached 
that  settlement  on  the  1st  of  October,  where  I  sold  the 
schooner,  and  endeavored  to  procure  a  passage  for  us  to 
England.  We  were  obliged  to  separate  and  go  in  differ- 
ent ships.  I  embarked  on  board  a  Dutch  packet  bound  to 
Middleburgh,  my  clerk  and  a  seaman  with  me.  The  Gov- 
ernor promised  the  others  should  follow  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble in  another  ship.  On  the  1 3th  of  March,  1 790,  we  sight- 
ed the  Bill  of  Portland,  and  the  next  day,  Sunday,  14th,  I 
left  the  packet  and  was  landed  at  Portsmouth  by  an  Isle 
of  Wight  boat." 

We  here  terminate  Lieutenant  Bligh's  journal,  whose 
return  to  England  under  such  singular  circumstances,  and 
the  tale  of  his  sufferings,  with  those  of  his  boat's  crew,  ex- 
cited universal  sympathy  at  home.  He  was  immediately 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  commander,  and  soon  after  to 
that  of  post-captain,  the  three  years'  usual  period  of  serv- 
ice having  been  dispensed  with  in  his  case;  and  his  own 
account  of  the  mutiny  made  him  appear  as  a  martyr, 
whose  kindness  and  forbearance  had  met  with  a  base  re- 
turn from  a  worthless  ship's  company.  For  the  time  be- 
ing he  was  a  hero,  and  little  cared  for  the  anguish  en- 
dured by  the  families  of  the  absent  officers  and  men,  who 
(as  he  knew)  had  taken  no  part  in  the  mutiny.  What 
communications  Lieutenant  Bligh  received  from  the  dif- 
ferent relatives,  and  what  replies  he  made,  do  not  appear 
on  record,  except  in  the  case  of  Peter  Hey  wood,  whose  un- 


68  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

cle,  Colonel  Holwell,*  wrote  to  Bligh  immediately  he  ar- 
rived in  England ;  and  although  a  copy  of  this  letter  is 
not  forthcoming,  the  following  reply  of  the  lieutenant  is 
preserved  among  the  family  papers : 

"London,  28th  of  March,  1790. 
"Sir, — I  have  just  this  instant  received  your  letter. 
With  much  concern  I  inform  you  that  your  nephew,  Peter 
Hey  wood,  is  among  the  mutineers ;  his  ingratitude  to  me 
is  of  the  deepest  dye,  for  I  was  a  father  to  him  in  every 
respect,  and  he  never  once  had  an  angry  word  from  me 
during  the  whole  course  of  the  voyage,  as  his  conduct  al- 
ways gave  me  much  pleasure  and  satisfaction.  I  very 
much  regret  that  so  much  baseness  formed  the  character 
of  a  young  man  I  had  a  real  regard  for,  and  it  will  give 
me  much  pleasure  to  hear  that  his  friends  can  bear  the 
loss  of  him  without  much  concern.  I  am,  sir,  your  obedi- 
ent servant,  Wm.  Bligh." 

In  consequence  of  various  reports  which  had  reached 
the  Isle  of  Man,  to  the  effect  that  young  Peter  had  been  a 
ringleader  in  the  mutiny,  and  had  gone  armed  into  the 
captain's  cabin,  Mrs.  Hey  wood,  in  a  state  of  mind  almost 
bordering  on  distraction,  addressed  a  letter  to  Lieutenant 
Bligh  on  the  subject,  and  his  reply  has  been  preserved. 
It  is  as  follows : 

"London,  April  2d,  1790. 
"  Madam, — I  received  your  letter  this  day,  and  feel  for 
you  very  much,  being  perfectly  sensible  of  the  extreme 
distress  you  must  suffer  from  the  conduct  of  your  son  Pe- 
ter.    His  baseness  is  beyond  all  description ;  but  I  hope 

*  Colonel  Holwell  was  son  of  W.  Holwell,  Esq.,  Governor  of  the  infant 
English  settlement  at  Calcutta,  one  of  the  twenty-three  survivors  out  of 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  persons  put  into  the  Black  Hole,  and  kept  there 
during  many  hours  without  ventilation.  This  officer,  by  his  union  with 
one  of  the  sisters  of  the  Deemster  Heywood,  was  uncle  by  marriage  to 
Peter. 


BLIGH  AND  RE 7 WOOD.  69 

you  will  endeavor  to  prevent  the  loss  of  him,  heavy  as  the 
misfortune  is,  from  affecting  you  too  severely.  I  imag- 
ine he  is,  with  the  rest  of  the  mutineers,  returned  to  O'Ta- 
hiti.  I  am,  madam,  your  most  obedient,  very  humble 
servant,  Wm.  Bligh." 

The  overwhelming  effect  of  this  unfeeling  letter  on  the 
minds  of  an  affectionate  mother  and  her  family,  and  the 
grief  it  occasioned,  may  be  readily  imagined.  Later,  how- 
ever, came  a  gleam  of  comfort  from  the  hope  that  Peter 
was  innocent.  A  kind  friend  had  written  to  them,  saying 
that  Lieutenant  Bligh  had  declared  that  the  report  of  Pe- 
ter Heywood  having  gone  armed  into  his  (Bligh's)  cabin 
was  a  complete  fabrication  ! 

As  soon  after  Lieutenant  Bligh's  arriva\  as  the  service 
permitted,  the  Pandora  frigate,  of  twenty-four  guns  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  was  ordered  to  be  fitted  out 
with  all  possible  dispatch  to  search  for  the  Bounty  and 
those  of  her  officers  and  crew  who  had  remained  on  board 
after  the  departure  of  Lieutenant  Bligh.  Some  months, 
however,  elapsed  before  she  was  fairly  under  weigh  for 
the  South  Seas. 


70  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Proceedings  of  the  Officers  and  Crew  who  separated  from  Fletcher  Chris- 
tian.— The  Schooner  Resolution  built. — Arrival  of  the  Pandora. — Suf- 
ferings of  the  Prisoners. — Shipwreck. — Privations  on  the  Boat- voyage. 
— Reach  Batavia. — Return  to  England. 

While  the  events  related  in  the  foregoing  pages  were 
occurring,  and  the  Pandora  was  on  her  voyage  from  Eng- 
land to  Tahiti,  those  of  the  Bounty's  people,  who  had  de- 
termined not  to  accompany  Christian,  separated  into  par- 
ties, and  resided  in  different  districts  of  the  island.  Stew- 
art and  Peter  Heywood  remained  with  their  old  friend 
Tippaoo,*  whose  land  bordered  on  Maatavaye  Bay,  and 
whose  daughter  Stewart  married. 

Morrison  and  Millward  became  the  guests  of  another 
chief — their  old  friend  Poeno — also  possessing  land  on  the 
shores  of  the  Bay,  and  others  were  dispersed  among  their 
various  friends  or  acquaintances  in  different  parts  of  the 
island.  Morrison,  however,  was  by  no  means  inclined  to 
wait  until  a  ship  should  be  sent  from  England  to  search 
for  the  crew  of  the.  Bounty.  The  idea  occurred  to  him 
that  it  might  be  possible  to  build  a  small  vessel  in  which 
to  proceed  to  Batavia,  and  from  thence  find  a  passage  to 
England.  His  friend  Millward  at  once  entered  into  the 
scheme  with  eight  others,  including  the  armorer,  cooper, 
carpenter's  mate,  and  one  of  his  crew,  who  all  resided  at 
Maatavaye  Bay.  The  latter  four  being  skilled  workmen, 
the  others  agreed  to  do  the  rough  work,  such  as  cutting 
down  trees,  and  clearing  a  place  to  lay  the  blocks  prepar- 

*  They  had  become  intimate  with  him  when  the  Bounty  first  arrived  at 
Tahiti. 


BUILDING  THE  RESOLUTION.  71 

atory  to  the  undertaking.  When  it  is  considered  that  all 
the  tools  they  possessed  were  the  few  belonging  to  the 
carpenter's  mate,  a  small  handsaw,  small  adzes,  etc.,  and 
that  they  had  to  make  all  others  they  might  require  in  the 
best  manner  they  could,  the  undertaking  must  appear 
most  enterprising.  Stewart  and  Peter  Heywood  declined 
taking  any  part,  preferring  to  wait  the  arrival  of  a  ship  of 
war  from  England,  according  to  Christian's  advice. 

On  the  12th  of  November,  1789,  the  keel  of  the  vessel  was 
laid  down,  the  length  being  thirty  feet,  breadth  of  beam 
nine  feet  six  inches,  and  depth  of  hold  five  feet.  The  wood 
of  the  pooroo-tree  was  considered  the  best  for  timbering, 
and  that  of  the  bread-fruit  tree  for  planks.  Before  pro- 
ceeding farther,  however,  Morrison  was  obliged  to  explain 
to  his  friend,  the  chief  Poeno,  that  they  were  going  to  build 
a  vessel  for  the  purpose  of  making  pleasure-trips  round  the 
island,  or  else  every  obstacle  would  have  been  thrown  in 
the  way,  so  unwilling  were  the  natives  to  part  with  their 
guests.  On  this  understanding,  and  with  the  expectation 
of  future  enjoyment  when  the  vessel  should  be  completed, 
every  assistance  was  afforded  them  by  the  chief  and  his 
people.  During  three  months  the  vessel  progressed  rapid- 
ly, numbers  of  natives  surrounding  the  place,  and  their 
amazement  daily  increasing  at  the  mode  in  which  the  tim- 
bers were  fitted  into  one  another  by  rule.  Morrison,  our 
journalist,  writes  thus  of  it: 

"February  1st,  1790. — The  work  was  interrupted  by  a 
lHeira'>  (a  ceremony),  which  according  to  custom  was  an- 
nually performed  before  the  chief  of  the  district,  and  the 
greater  number  of  the  inhabitants  assembled  to  witness  it. 
When  all  was  prepared,  the  picture  of  Captain  Cook*  was 

*  Captain  Cox,  commanding  a  merchant  ship,  the  Mercury,  had  left 
them  a  picture  of  the  circumnavigator,  and  also  informed  them  of  his  death  ; 
but  though  they  expressed  great  indignation  against  Lieutenant  Bligh  for 


72  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  TEE  BOUNTY. 

brought  out  with  great  ceremony,  and  exhibited  to  the  as- 
sembled multitude,  who  paid  homage  to  it.  A  national 
dance  was  then  performed,  and  a  person  of  importance  pro- 
nounced a  long  oration,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  the  por- 
trait was  restored  to  the  care  of  an  old  man  specially  ap- 
pointed for  that  purpose.  The  queen,  Eddea,  was  present, 
and  after  the  ceremonial  visited  the  little  vessel,  which  had 
become  an  object  of  so  much  interest  to  the  natives  that 
numbers  of  persons  from  all  parts  of  the  island  flocked  to 
see  her,  and  brought  supplies  of  provisions  to  the  ship- 
building party,  as  a  compensation  for  being  permitted  to 
watch  the  progress  of  the  work.  The  perseverance  and 
skill  of  the  Englishmen  excited  their  astonishment ;  but 
they  could  not  understand  how  they  could  labor  so  hard, 
and  for  so  long  a  period." 

All  went  smoothly  until  an  event  occurred  which  seem- 
ed likely  to  raise  a  serious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  com- 
pleting the  vessel.  Thompson,  who  resided  with  Cole- 
man, had  insulted  a  member  of  one  of  the  principal  fami- 
lies of  the  district  in  which  he  resided,  and  for  this  offense 
he  was  knocked  down,  but  not  otherwise  injured,  by  an  in- 
censed relative.  He  left  that  district,  vowing  vengeance 
for  the  affront,  and  returned  to  his  former  home  near 
Point  Yenus,  the  usual  resting-place  for  canoes  when  they 
were  going  round  the  island.  This  point  had  become  a 
still  more  favorite  resort  on  account  of  the  facility  it  af- 
forded for  seeing  the  ship  in  progress  of  building.  One 
day  a  canoe  from  a  distant  district  touched  at  the  Point, 
and  the  party  landed.  The  owner  was  taking  his  wife  and 
family  on  a  pleasure-excursion,  and  proceeding  up  the 
beach  with  a  young  child  in  his  arms,  the  rest  of  his  family 
following,  when  Thompson  angrily  ordered  him  to  quit 

having  practised  such  a  deception  as  to  say  Cook  was  alive,  and  that  he 
was  his  son,  yet  they  were  not  displeased  with  Christian  for  having  in  a 
measure  availed  himself  of  the  subterfuge.     (See  page  48.) 


TROUBLES  AT  TAHITI.  73 

the  place,  speaking  in  English,  which  they  did  not  under- 
stand. The  party  therefore  did  not  attend  to  his  injunc- 
tion, on  which  he  seized  a  musket,  and  shot  the  unfortu- 
nate man  and  his  child,  who  both  fell  lifeless  on  the  spot. 

The  English  residents,  and  numbers  of  natives,  rushed 
to  the  aid  of  the  victims,  and  also  to  console  the  bereaved 
widow  and  her  family.  Young  Hey  wood,  expressing  much 
sympathy  and  regret,  gave  her  some  trifling  presents,  and 
this  small  act  of  kindness  proved  afterwards  the  means 
of  preserving  his  life.  All  the  English  felt  considerable 
alarm  lest  the  crime  committed  by  Thompson  should  be 
visited  upon  them  ;  but  all  the  spectators  accused  Thomp- 
son of  being  the  sole  perpetrator  of  the  crime,  and  he  was 
shunned  by  his  countrymen  (with  the  exception  of  Chur- 
chill), and  by  the  inhabitants  of  that  district.  The  two 
friends  then  determined  to  remove  into  the  interior,  and 
they  were  accompanied  by  a  sailor  who  had  deserted  from 
a  vessel  which  had  touched  at  the  island  previous  to  the 
arrival  of  the  Bounty. 

Some*  months  after  this  event  Peter  Hey  wood  was  trav- 
elling with  his  friend  the  chief  Poeno,  and  arrived  at  the 
district  where  the  family  and  relatives  of  the  murdered 
man  resided.  Seeing  ah  English  person,  they  imagined  it 
might  be  Thompson,  and  a  number  of  people  rushed  upon 
Hey  wood,  seized  him,  and  dragged  him  along  the  ground 
by  the  hair  of  his  head,  while  others  took  up  stones  to 
kill  him.  Poeno  attempted  to  rescue  his  young  friend,  but 
his  exertions  and  entreaties  would  have  proved  unavailing 
had  not  the  murdered  man's  brother  recognized  Peter 
Heywood,  and  explained  how  he  had  befriended  the  wid- 
ow. Upon  hearing  this,  the  anger  of  the  infuriated  multi- 
tude was  appeased,  and  they  uttered  the  most  frank  ex- 
pressions of  sorrow  for  the  violence  they  had  offered  him. 
They  made  every  reparation  in  their  power,  by  protecting 

4 


74  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

him  and  his  friend  on  their  journey  through  the  different 
districts  they  had  to  pass  until  they  reached  their  home. 

Thompson  and  his  associate  were  as  much  objects  of 
dread  as  of  dislike  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  interior ; 
but  no  friendship  or  kindly  feeling  could  exist  between 
such  desperadoes.  At  length  their  feuds  led  to  deadly 
conflicts,  which  ended  in  Thompson  shooting  Churchill,  for 
which,  and  for  his  former  misdeeds,  he  himself  met  with 
just  retribution  at  the  hands  of  the  natives.  Thus  ended 
the  career  of  two  of  the  most  violent  of  the  mutineers,  and 
their  removal  relieved  the  residents  at  Maatavaye  from 
all  anxiety  as  to  personal  safety.  But  other  impediments 
came  in  the  way  of  the  completion  of  the  vessel.  Several 
of  the  ship-building  party,  who  had  at  first  entered  zeal- 
ously into  the  scheme,  withdrew  from  work,  and  left  the 
district. 

Easter  came,  which  was  religiously  observed  by  all  the 
Englishmen,  as  Sunday  had  been  from  the  period  of  their 
return  to  Tahiti.  By  the  30th  of  April,  however,  the 
workmen  had  completed  the  planking,  as  well  as  the  ceil- 
ing of  the  cabin,  and  they  were  ready  to  begin  caulking. 
For  this  purpose,  parties  of  men  were  sent  out  to  collect 
the  gum  of  the  bread-fruit  tree  as  a  substitute  for  pitch. 
This  proved  a  long  and  troublesome  task,  as  the  largest 
quantity  a  man  could  collect  during  the  day  by  scraping 
the  bark  of  the  trees  with  shells  was  only  a  quarter  of  a 
pound.  But  perseverance  and  industry  overcame  this,  as 
well  as  other  difliculties,  and  a  sufficient  quantity  was  ob- 
tained and  boiled,  so  that  with  what  rope  they  possessed 
very  tolerable  oakum  was  prepared,  with  which  to  caulk 
the  vessel  throughout.  She  was  to  be  schooner  rigged, 
and  the  next  task  was  to  make  masts,  booms,  gaffs,  and  a 
bowsprit.  On  the  30th  of  July,  1790,  all  these  were  com- 
pleted, and  her  rudder  being  fitted,  she  was  declared  ready 


LAUNCH  OF  THE  RESOLUTION  75 

to   be   launched.     Morrison   thus  describes  the  proceed- 
ing: 

"  With  what  rope  we  could  muster,  we  slung  the  masts 
on  the  sides,  making  a  kind  of  cradle  under  her ;  and  not 
requiring  most  of  the  arrger  shanks,  we  made  use  of  them 
as  bolts,  and  clenched  them  through  the  keel  and  kelson, 
to  strengthen  that  part.  Being  all  ready  on  the  5th  of 
August,  we  applied  to  Poeno  for  assistance  to  launch  her, 
but  he  refused  until  the  priests  should  have  uttered  cer- 
tain prayers,  and  gone  through  the  ceremony  of  throwing 
the  boughs  of  plantain-trees  over  her,  which  occupied  sev- 
eral hours.  A  number  of  men  were  then  permitted  to  as- 
sist us,  whom  the  priest  exhorted  to  do  their  duty.  They 
all  joined  in  a  chorus,  and  pushed  the  vessel  so  vigorously 
that  she  soon  began  to  move.  In  half  an  hour  she  reached 
the  beach,  when  she  was  launched,  and  we  christened  her 
the  Resolution  with  some  cider  we  had  prepared  for  the 
purpose  from  a  kind  of  apple  which  grows  luxuriantly  in 
the  island.  She  received  no  other  damage  (except  break- 
ing the  masts),  in  a  passage  of  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  to  the  sea. 

"  Having  got  the  ropes  from  under  her,  and  a  canoe 
afloat  with  her,  we  towed  her  round  Point  Yenus  into  a 
small  bay  to  the  eastward  of  the  point,  and  moored  her 
with  the  killick  and  a  warp  on  shore,  in  a  good  berth,  and 
under  the  shelter  of  a  point  within  the  reef. 

"  We  then  prepared  a  log-reel  and  line,  and  by  cutting 
a  glass  vial  in  halves  with  a  flint,  and  fixing  a  leaden 
centre,  cast  on  purpose,  made  a  tolerably  good  half-minute 
glass,'  counting  the  seconds  by  a  musket-ball  slung  to  a 
thread,  between  which  and  the  watch  we  made  it  tolera- 
bly correct. 

"  Every  thing  seemed  to  be  had  without  trouble  or  dif- 
ficulty, except  sails,  and  how  to  procure  them  we  could 
not  tell,  matting  being  scarce  and  at  the  best  very  unserv- 
iceable ;  and,  though  we  had  cut  up  our  clothes,  we  had 
not  sufficient   canvas  amongst  us  to  make   her  one   sail 


76  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

which  would  be  fit  to  set  at  sea.  However,  we  continued 
at  work,  preparing  such  things  as  were  in  our  power,  and 
trusting  to  Providence  for  the  rest.  At  length  some  mat- 
ting was  procured,  and,  Coleman  having  contrived  to  make 
some  sail-needles,  accomplished  the  work  with  tolerable 


The  first  trial-trip  of  the  Resolution  answered  well  in 
all  respects  except  as  regarded  the  sails ;  and,  owing  to 
this  failure,  Morrison  and  his  friends  felt  that  they  must 
abandon  the  proposed  voyage  to  Batavia  and  the  hope  of 
proceeding  thence  to  England — a  great  disappointment — 
as  this  hope  had  stimulated  them  to  exertion,  and  cheered 
their  hours  of  labor. 

During  these  months"  Stewart  and  Peter  Hey  wood  had 
been  fully  employed:  the  former  in  the  formation  and 
cultivation  of  a  garden ;  the  latter  in  studying  the  Tahi- 
tian  language,  and  writing  a  vocabulary,  which  afterwards 
proved  of  great  value  to  the  missionaries.  Eighteen 
months  had  elapsed  since  their  return  to  Tahiti  in  the 
Bounty,  and  during  this  period  no  tidings  of  home,  or  of 
relatives  and  friends,  had  reached  the  exiles.  They  began 
to  weary  of  their  imprisonment,  and  naturally  became 
anxious  about  their  promotion  in  the  service,  which  was 
being  retarded  by  their  involuntary  absence.  Young  Pe- 
ter was  keenly  sensitive  on  this  point,  and  anxious  to  re- 
join his  family  and  friends.  He  would  frequently  wander 
for  hours  among  the  forests  of  bread-fruit  and  cocoa-nut 
palms  in  the  vicinity  of  his  dwelling,  indulging  in  sad 
thoughts  concerning  his  actual  position  and  future  pros- 
pects. .  One  evening,  when  more  than  usually  despond- 
ing, he  strayed  far  from  home,  allured  by  the  bright  moon 
which  had  risen  late,  and  lighted  up  the  forest  glades. 
Sitting  down  at  length  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  bread-fruit 
tree,  he  fell   asleep,  and   had   the  following   remarkable 


ARRIVAL   OF  THE  PANDORA.  77 

dream :  He  fancied  himself  walking  through  a  fertile 
valley  by  the  side  of  a  sparkling  river.  Precipices  in- 
closed the  scene  on  every  side ;  the  plants  and  shrubs 
were  of  a  different  character  to  any  he  had  ever  seen,  and 
the  sunlight  was  of  surpassing  brilliancy.  Suddenly  he 
came  to  a  spot  where  further  progress  was  impeded  by 
the  rocks;  the  sky  became  obscure  and  gloomy,  and  a 
voice  from  overhead  addressed  him  in  an  impressive  tone 
as  follows :  "  Young  man  !  cease  thy  murmurings,  and 
rebel  not  against  the  decree  of  God.  Remember  that 
man  is  born  to  adversity,  and  that  patience  and  resigna- 
tion to  all  that  may  occur  is  thy  bounden  duty,  and  will 
enable  thee  to  bear  with  serenity  all  the  evils  thou  wilt 
have  to  endure.  God  watches  over  all  His  creatures,  the 
evil  as  well  as  the  good.  Confide  in  His  mercy  and  love, 
act  uprightly,  keep  thy  conscience  clear,  and,  trusting  in 
Almighty  Providence,  thou  needest  not  under  any  circum- 
stances despair."*  The  voice  then  ceased,  and  Peter 
awoke  to  find  that  the  sun  had  risen,  and  that  his  limbs 
were  stiffened  by  the  damp  of  the  copious  dew  which  had 
fallen  during  the  night.  This  dream  produced  a  profound 
impression  on  his  mind  ;  he  regarded  it  as  a  merciful, 
though  mysterious,  communication,  and  became  more 
cheerful  and  resigned  to  circumstances  over  which  he  had 
had  no  control. 

This  period  of  probation  lasted  a  year  longer,  and  its 
unexpected  termination  took  place  on  the  morning  of 
March  23d,  1791.  At  an  early  hour,  a  vessel  was  observed 
rounding  the  point,  and  standing  in  to  Maatavaye  Bay. 
She  proved  to  be  H.M.S.  Pandora,  commanded  by  Captain 

*  It  may  be  mentioned,  as  a  singular  coincidence,  that  this  dream  oc- 
curred on  the  6th  of  February,  1790,  the  night  young  Heywood's  father 
died  in  the  Isle  of  Man  ;  of  which  event  he  only  heard  when  he  arrived  at 
Portsmouth  in  June,  1792. 


78  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Edward  Edwards,  R.N".  Before  she  had  anchored,  Cole- 
man was  the  first  to  present  himself  on  board,  and  was 
nearly  drowned  in  the  attempt,  the  canoe  having  been  up- 
set, and  he  with  difficulty  rescued.  Stewart  and  Peter 
Heywood  followed  in  a  large  double  canoe,  and  gave  them- 
selves up  to  Captain  Edwards,  informing  him  who  they 
were;  but,  without  further  inquiry,  he  ordered  them  to  be 
taken  below  and  placed  in  irons,  together  with  three  oth- 
ers, who  had  successively  arrived,  and  were  all  manacled. 

Meanwhile,  Morrison,  Ellison,  and  Norman  were  in  the 
schooner  proceeding  round  the  island,  and  the  hapless 
prisoners  could  only  indicate  the  direction  their  compan- 
ions had  taken.  The  launch  was  then  manned  and  armed, 
with  orders  to  search  for  these  men,  and  for  the  others 
resident  in  the  interior  of  the  island.  The  pilot,  being  a 
friend  of  Morrison's,  sent  people  forward  to  warn  him  of 
the  arrival  of  the  Pandora,  and  that  the  launch  was  dis- 
patched in  pursuit  of  him  and  his  companions,  and  to  se- 
cure the  schooner.  When  the  messenger  reached  the  par- 
ty, the  Resolution  was  lying  at  anchor  in  a  small  bay. 
Without  delay  or  hesitation,  the  three  left  her,  took  a  canoe 
which  conveyed  them  a  considerable  distance,  and,  to  ex- 
pedite their  movements,  landed  and  walked  fourteen  miles 
across  the  country  to  the  harbor  where  the  launch  was  an- 
chored, which  they  reached  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. They  found  Lieutenant  Corner,*  the  second  lieuten- 
ant of  the  Pandora,  in  command,  and  gave  themselves  up 
to  him.  He  received  them  courteously,  but  placed  them 
under  guard ;  at  the  same  time  ordering  refreshments, 
which  they  much  needed.  In  a  few  hours  the  pinnace  of 
the  Pandora,  also  armed,  joined  the  launch,  and  Lieutenant 

*  This  officer  was  always  kind  to  the  prisoners,  and  through  life  Cap- 
tain Heywood  continued  on  friendly  terms  with  him.  In  after  years  Mr. 
Corner  became  Superintendent  of  Marine  Police  at  Malta. 


THE  PRISONERS   ON  THE  PANDORA.  79 

Corner  placed  the  three  prisoners  in  charge  of  the  third 
lieutenant  to  convey  them  on  board,  while  he  in  the  launch 
proceeded  to  seize  the  schooner  and  the  remainder  of  the 
people,  who  were  at  the  other  side  of  the  island.  The 
prisoners  found  themselves  in  charge  of  their  former  ship- 
mate Hay  ward,  one  of  the  midshipmen  of  the  Bounty,  who 
had  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  third  lieutenant  of  the 
Pandora.  He  took  little  notice  of  them,  beyond  inquiring 
about  the  Bounty,  and  who  had  remained  in  her ;  inform- 
ing them  how  Stewart,  Heywood  and  their  companions 
had  been  received  on  board,  and  the  treatment  they  also 
might  expect.  As  a  preparation,  he  ordered  fetters  to  be 
put  on  their  ankles  in  order  to  prevent  escape. 

It  was  with  difficulty  that,  with  such  obstacles,  they 
mounted  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  on  gaining  the  deck 
Captain  Edwards  ordered  them  instantly  below,  to  be 
heavily  chained,  like  their  unfortunate  shipmates.  Senti- 
nels were  placed  over  them,  with  orders  to  shoot  the  first 
man  who  should  speak,  especially  should  they  address 
each  other  in  the  Tahitian  language,  or  speak  to  the  na- 
tives who  crowded  on  board.  They  had  plenty  of  provis- 
ions, and  as  their  friends  on  shore  were  allowed  to  supply 
them  daily  with  fresh  cocoa-nuts,  they  did  not  care  for  the 
forbidden  luxury  of  grog.  The  unfortunate  prisoners  re- 
mained between  decks  several  days,  and  some  dirty  ham- 
mocks were  supplied  to  them  to  lie  upon,  but  these  being 
full  of  vermin,  they  requested  they  might  be  removed,  as 
they  preferred  the  bare  deck.  They  were  also  unable  to 
make  use  of  the  changes  of  linen  ordered  for  them  by  the 
captain,  their  irons  being  clinched  so  tight  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  them  to  rise  or  use  their  arms.  Although  the 
heat  between  decks  was  excessive,  yet  that  situation  was 
preferable  to  the  kind  of  poop  or  round-house  which  they 
had  heard  was  preparing  on  the  quarter-deck  for  their  re- 


80    •  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

ception.  The  boards  of  this  prison  were  so  roughly  put 
together  as  scarcely  to  shelter  them  from  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  or  from  the  rain,  which  frequently  fell  in  torrents. 

On  the  9th  of  April  the  schooner  Resolution  reached  the 
ship,  and  brought  on  board  the  remaining  six  prisoners, 
transferring  them  to  the  dreaded  "  Pandora's  box,"  through 
the  scuttle  at  the  top,  about  eighteen  inches  square.  This 
"  box  "  was  fastened  by  bolts  through  the  combings  of  a 
hatchway.  There  were  two  scuttles  of  nine  inches  square 
in  the  bulk-head  of  the  box,  to  admit  air  to  the  prisoners. 
The  scuttles  or  apertures  were  also  secured  against  escape 
by  iron  gratings,  and  even  the  stern-ports  of  the  ship  were 
barred  inside  and  out.  The  length  of  this  "  box  "  was 
eleven  feet  at  the  deck,  and  the  width  eighteen  feet  at  the 
bulk-head.*  In  this  contracted  space  fourteen  prisoners 
were  confined ;  two  sentries  were  placed  on  the  top  of  it, 
and  a  midshipman  paced  up  and  down  across  the  bulk- 
head. No  one  was  allowed  to  hold  any  communication 
with  the  prisoners  except  the  master-at-arms,  and  he  only 
on  the  subject  of  their  provisions.  Their  condition  in  this 
dreadful  confinement  became  daily  more  pitiable,  owing  to 
the  extreme  heat,  and  Morrison  quaintly  records  "that 
their  prison-house  was  only  washed  out  once  a  week,  they 

*  "  Peter  Heywood,  while  there  a  prisoner,  and  suffering  the  most  cruel 
hardships  from  his  treatment  on  board  H.M.S.  Pandora,  composed  the  fol- 
lowing lines — the  results  of  experience : 

"Lest  I  should  bend  beneath  this  weighty  load, 
And  ne'er  enjoy  thy  promised  blest  abode, 
Attend,  thou  Hope,  on  me,  and  be  my  guide, 
Thro'  all  my  sorrows,  walking  by  my  side : 
Keep  in  my  eyes  that  distant  happy  spot 
Where  sweet  content  shall  be  my  future  lot, 
Tree  from  ambition  or  desire  of  gain, 
Living  in  peace,  exempt  from  mental  pain ; 
My  food,  the  fruits  with  my  own  culture  grown, 
1  The  world  forgetting,  by  the  world  unknown :' 
There  tasting  pleasure  void  of  care's  alloy, 
Crowning  afflictions  past  with  present  joy! 
"March,  1791.  Petee  Heywoop." 


PEGGY  STEWART.  81 

were  washed  with  it;  and  this  was  the  only  ablution  al- 
lowed them  !"  Such  was  a  picture  of  the  treatment  of 
prisoners  by  the  British  Royal  Navy,  in  the  year  1791! 
Each  officer  of  the  ship,  as  he  was  relieved  from  his  watch 
of  this  prison,  examined  the  state  of  the  shackles,  and 
M'Intosh's  limbs  being  slight,  he  contrived  to  liberate  one 
leg  at  night,  which  was  a  great  relief.  This  circumstance 
being  reported  to  Captain  Edwards,  the  first  lieutenant, 
Mr.  Larkin,  was  instructed  to  make  a  general  inspection 
of  the  irons.  The  leg-irons  were  immediately  reduced  in 
size  to  fit  close,  and,  writes  Morrison, "  Mr.  Larkin  in  try- 
ing the  handcuffs,  placed  his  foot  against  our  breasts,  and 
hauling  them  over  our  hands  with  all  his  strength,  in  sev- 
eral cases  took  off  the  skin  with  them.  All  that  could  be 
hauled  off  in  this  manner  were  reduced,  and  fitted  so  close 
there  was  no  possibility  of  turning  the  hand  in  them. 
When  our  wrists  began  to  swell,  he  told  us  the  handcuffs 
were  not  intended  to  fit  like  gloves." 

Sickness  soon  appeared  among  the  prisoners,  and  their 
limbs  became  galled  from  the  tightness  of  their  irons. 
One  or  two  of  the  greatest  sufferers  were  released  from 
their  handcuffs,  but  their  legs  were  still  kept  fastened  to 
the  two  iron  bars  which  ran  across  the  deck. 

During  the  whole  period  of  their  stay  at  Tahiti,  the  ship 
was  daily  surrounded  by  canoes,  not  only  with  supplies, 
but  with  the  numerous  friends  of  the  prisoners,  full  of  sor- 
row and  lamentations  for  their  misfortunes.  Few  were  al- 
lowed to  come  on  board  to  see  them,  but  among  the  few 
was  the  young  girl  Stewart  had  married,  and  named  Peg- 
gy. She  came  with  her  infant  in  her  arms,  and,  seeing 
her  husband  lying  on  the  deck  among  the  others  heavily 
ironed,  her  grief  knew  no  bounds ;  even  the  hard-hearted 
captain  and  his  lieutenant  were  touched  by  her  sorrow, 
and  she  was  admitted  into  the  prison-house.     With  reit- 

4* 


82  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

erated  cries,  she  clung  to  Stewart,  and  the  scene  becom- 
ing too  painful,  it  was  necessary  to  remove  her  by  force. 
Stewart  was  so  completely  unnerved  by  this  interview, 
that  he  entreated  she  might  not  be  allowed  to  see  him 
again.  Poor  Peggy,  however,  was  not  to  be  deterred 
from  remaining  on  the  beach,  where  she  could,  at  all  events, 
see  the  vessel,  from  the  earliest  dawn  to  midnight.  Her 
father  and  friends  were  seen  endeavoring  to  persuade  her 
to  take  food  and  rest,  but  in  vain ;  she  was  daily  at  her 
post,  and  within  a  few  weeks  after  the  departure  of  the 
Pandora,  the  broken-hearted  girl  sank  into  an  early  grave, 
leaving  her  infant  to  the  care  of  her  sister,  who  took  a 
mother's  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  little  orphan.* 

The  necessary  supply  of  water  and  provisions  being 
completed,  and  the  Resolution  fitted  with  sails,  Captain 
Edwards  ordered  a  midshipman  and  four  men  on  board 
to  navigate  her,  with  instructions  to  keep  the  Pandora  in 
sight.  On  the  19th  of  May,  1791,  they  sailed  from  Tahiti, 
and  stood  to  the  north-west,  with  the  intention  of  prosecu- 
ting a  strict  search  among  the  islands  for  the  remainder 
of  the  Bounty's  crew,  in  which  service  the  little  schooner 
proved  most  useful,  as  her  small  draught  of  water  enabled 
her  to  lie  close  to  the  extensive  reefs. 

As  they  approached  Chatham  Island,  the  schooner  was 
missed,  and,  although  the  Pandora  cruised  about  for  sev- 
eral days  in  search  of  her,  she  could  nowhere  be  seen,  and 
was  given  up  for  lost.  (This  seemed  a  second  disaster,  as 
previously  the  jolly-boat  had  been  blown  from  the  land 
when  going  off  to  her,  and  a  midshipman  and  four  men 
on  board  never  heard  of  again.)  The  Pandora,  having 
cruised   about  the  different   groups  of  islands  for  three 


*  In  after  years  this  account  was  brought  to  England  by  the  mission- 
aries, by  whom  the  little  girl  had  been  educated. 


WRECK  OF  THE  PANDORA.  83 

months,  seeking  the  Bounty  and  her  people,  Captain  Ed- 
wards was  obliged  to  relinquish  the  search,  and  sailed 
from  the  Friendly  Islands  in  the  middle  of  August  for  the 
Island  of  Timor. 

The  sufferings  of  the  prisoners  during  this  cruise  had 
been  intolerable.  They  had  no  means  of  steadying  them- 
selves when  the  ship  lurched,  and  being  thrown  together, 
unavoidably  wounded  themselves  and  each  other  with 
their  irons.  At  the  request  of  Lieutenant  Corner,  who 
always  evinced  much  kindness  and  consideration  towards 
them,  Captain  Edwards  allowed  short  pieces  of  plank  to 
be  secured  to  the  deck,  to  remedy  these  frequent  collis- 
ions and  consequent  suffering.  We  shall  now  recur  again 
to  Morrison's  journal : 

"On  the  22d  of  August,  1791,  we  approached  Endeav- 
or Strait,  and  narrowly  escaped  running  on  a  reef  in  it, 
obliging  us  to  be  working  to  windward  for  some  days 
without  finding  any  opening.  On  Sunday,  the  28th,  the 
second  lieutenant  was  sent  with  the  yawl  to  make  a  closer 
examination,  while  the  ship  was  hove  to.  At  7  p.m.  on 
Sunday,  the  28th  of  August,  the  current  running  strongly 
on  the  reef,  the  ship  was  forced  on  it  in  the  midst  of  a 
heavy  surf,  at  the  moment  the  returning  yawl  had  come 
within  hail,  and  was  warning  the  people  of  the  danger,  but 
in  vain.  The  ship  was  forced  farther  on  the  reef  with  vio- 
lent and  repeated  shocks,  and  we  expected  every  surge 
that  the  masts  would  go  by  the  board.  Seeing  her  in  this 
situation,  we  judged  she  would  not  hold  long  together. 
As  we  were  in  danger  at  every  shock  of  killing  each  other 
with  our  irons,  we  broke  them,  that  we  might  be  ready  to 
assist  ourselves,  and  informed  the  officers  of  what  we  had 
done.  When  Mr.  Corner  was  acquainted  with  it  he  came 
aft,  and  we  told  him  we  should  attempt  nothing  further, 
as  we  only  wanted  a  chance  for  our  lives,  which  he  prom- 
ised we  should  have,  telling  us  not  to  fear. 

"  In  the  mean  time  the  ship  lost  her  rudder,  and  with  it 


84  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

part  of  the  stern-post,  and  having  beat  over  the  reef  be- 
tween 11  and  12  p.m.,  she  was  brought  up  in  fifteen  fath- 
oms water  with  both  anchors,  and  the  first  news  was, 
1  nine  feet  of  water  in  the  hold  !'  Coleman,  Norman,  and 
M'Intosh  were  ordered  out  of  the  box  to  the  pumps,  and 
the  boats  were  got  out.  As  soon  as  Captain  Edwards  was 
informed  that  we  had  broken  our  irons,  he  ordered  us  to 
be  handcuffed  and  leg-ironed  again  with  all  the  irons  that 
could  be  mustered,  though  we  begged  for  mercy,  and  de- 
sired leave  to  go  to  the  pumps,  but  to  no  purpose.  His 
orders  were  put  into  execution,  though  the  water  in  the 
hold  had  increased  to  eleven  feet,  and  one  of  the  chain- 
pumps  was  broken.  The  master-at-arms  and  corporal 
were  now  armed  with  a  brace  of  pistols  each,  and  placed 
as  additional  sentinels  over  us,  with  orders  to  fire  among 
us  if  we  made  any  motion.  The  master-at-arms  told  us 
that  the  captain  had  said  he  would  either  shoot  or  hang  to 
the  yard-arm  those  who  should  make  any  further  attempt 
to  break  the  irons.  There  was  no  remedy  but  prayer,  as 
we  expected  never  to  see  daylight,  and  having  recommend- 
ed ourselves  to  Almighty  protection,  we  lay  down,  and 
seemed  for  a  while  to  forget  our  miserable  situation.  We 
could  hear  the  officers  busy  getting  their  things  into  the 
boats,  which  were  hauled  under  the  stern  for  that  purpose, 
and  heard  some  of  the  men  on  deck  say,  '  They  shall  not 
go  without  us.'  This  made  some  of  us  start,  and,  moving 
the  irons,  the  master-at-arms  said, '  Fire  upon  the  rascals.' 
As  he  was  just  then  over  the  scuttle  I  spoke  to  him,  and 
said,  'For  God's  sake,  don't  fire  !  what  is  the  matter?  there 
is  no  one  here  moving.'  In  a  few  minutes  after,  one  of 
the  boats  broke  adrift,  and  having  but  two  men  in  her,  she 
could  not  reach  the  ship  again  till  another  was  sent  with 
hands  to  bring  her  back.  And  now  we  began  to  think 
they  would  set  off  together,  as  it  was  but  natural  to  sup- 
pose that  every  one  would  first  think  of  saving  his  own 
life.  However,  they  returned,  and  were  secured  with  bet- 
ter warps. 

"  We  learnt  that,  the  boom  being  cut  loose  for  the  pur- 


WRECK  OF  THE  PANDORA.  85 

pose  of  making  a  raft,  one  of  the  topmasts  fell  into  the 
waist,  and  killed  a  man,  who  was  busy  heaving  the  guns 
overboard;  and  every  thing  seemed  to  be  in  great  con- 
fusion. At  daylight,  August  29th,  the  boats  were  hauled 
up,  aud  most  of  the  officers  being  aft  on  the  top  of  the 
\  box,'  we  observed  that  they  were  armed,  and  preparing 
to  go  into  the  boats  by  the  stern  ladders.  We  begged 
that  we  might  not  be  forgotten,  when,  by  Captain  Ed- 
wards's order,  Joseph  Hodges,  the  armorer's  mate,  was 
sent  down  to  take  the  irons  off  Muspratt  and  Skinner,  and 
send  them  and  Byrne  (who  was  then  out  of  irons)  up ; 
but  Skinner,  being  too  eager  to  get  out,  was  hauled  up 
with  his  handcuffs  on,  and  the  other  two  following  him 
close,  the  scuttle  was  shut  and  barred  before  Hodges 
could  get  to  it,  and  he  in  the  mean  time  knocked  off  my 
hand-irons  and  Stewart's.  I  begged  of  the  master-at-arms 
to  leave  the  scuttle  open,  when  he  answered, '  Never  fear, 
my  boys,  we  will  all  go  down  together.'  The  words  were 
scarcely  out  of  his  mouth  when  the  ship  took  a  sally,  and 
a  general  cry  of  *  There  she  goes  !'  was  heard.  The  mas- 
ter-at-arms and  corporal,  with  the  sentinels,  rolled  over- 
board, and  at  the  same  instant  we  saw  through  the  stern- 
port  Captain  Edwards  swimming  to  the  pinnace,  which 
was  some  distance  astern,  as  were  all  the  boats,  which  had 
pushed  off  on  the  first  appearance  of  a  motion  in  the  ship. 
Birkett  and  Heildbrandt  were  yet  handcuffed,  and  the 
ship  under  water  as  far  as  the  mainmast.  It  was  now  be- 
ginning to  flow  in  upon  us,  when  Divine  Providence  di- 
rected James  Moulter  (boatswain's  mate)  to  the  place. 
He  was  scrambling  up  on  the  *  box,'  and,  hearing  our 
cries,  said, '  he  would  either  set  us  free,  or  go  to  the  bot- 
tom with  us,'  and  took  out  the  bolts,  throwing  them  and 
the  scuttle  overboard,  such  was  his  presence  of  mind, 
though  he  was  forced  to  follow  instantly,  as  he  was  near- 
ly drowning. 

"  So  we  all  got  out  except  Heildbrandt,  and  were  re- 
joiced even  in  this  trying  scene  to  think  that  we  had  es- 
caped from  our  prison,  though  it  was  full  as  much  as  I 


86  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

could  do  to  clear  myself  of  the  driver-boom  before  the 
ship  sank.  The  boats  were  so  far  off  that  we  could  not 
distinguish  one  from  the  other ;  however,  observing  one 
of  the  gangways  come  up,  I  swam  to  it,  and  had  scarcely 
reached  it,  before  I  perceived  Muspratt  on  the  other  end, 
whom  it  had  brought  up ;  but  it  having  fallen  on  the 
heads  of  several  others,  sent  them  to  the  bottom.  Here  I 
began  to  get  ready  for  swimming,  and  the  top  of  our  pris- 
on having  floated,  I  observed  on  it  Mr.  P.  Heywood  (who 
had  been  the  last  but  three  to  jump  overboard),  Birkett, 
Coleman,  and  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  ship  ;  and,  seeing 
Mr.  Heywood  take  a  short  plank  and  set  off  to  one  of  the 
boats,*  I  resolved  to  follow  him,  which  I  did  by  means  of 
another  short  plank.  After  having  been  about  an  hour 
and  a  half  in  the  water,  I  reached  the  blue  yawl,  and  was 
taken  up  by  Mr.  Bowling,  master's  mate,  who  had  also 
taken  up  Mr.  Heywood.  After  rescuing  several  others, 
we  were  landed  on  a  small  sandy  key,f  on  the  reef  about 
two  and  a  half  or  three  miles  from  the  ship.  Here  we  soon 
found  that  four  of  our  fellow -prisoners  were  drowned, 
Skinner  and  Heildbrandt,  who  had  their  handcuffs  on,  and 
Stewart  and  Sumner,  who  were  struck  by  the  gangway. 
Birkett  being  landed  with  his  handcuffs  on,  the  captain  or- 
dered them  to  be  taken  off.  We  also  heard  that  thirty- 
one  of  the  Pandora's  ship's  company  were  lost,  among 
whom  were  the  master-at-arms  and  ship's  corporal,  but  all 
the  officers  were  saved. 

"A  tent  was  now  erected  for  the  officers,  and  another 
for  the  men,  but  we  were  not  suffered  to  come  near  either. 
The  captain  had  told  us  that  we  should  be  treated  as  well 
as  the  ship's  company ;  but  on  our  requesting  him  to  give 
us  a  spare  boat's  sail  to  shelter  us  from  the  sun,  as  we  had 
but  scanty  clothing,  it  was  refused,  though  no  use  was 
made  of  it ;  and  we  were  ordered  to  keep  on  a  part  of  the 

*  The  only  thing  he  preserved  on  this  occasion  was  his  prayer-book, 
the  last  gift  of  his  mother,  which  he  carried  between  his  teeth, 
t  See  illustrations,  chapter  vi. 


WRECKED  ON  A   SAND -KEY.  87 

islet  by  ourselves,  to  windward  of  the  tents,  not  being  suf- 
fered to  speak  to  any  person  but  each  other.  The  provis- 
ion saved  being  very  small,  this  day's  allowance  was  only 
two  musket-balls'  weight  of  bread,  and  a  glass  of  wine ; 
the  water  being  but  a  small  quantity,  none  could  be  af- 
forded us. 

"We  staid  here  till  Wednesday  morning,  the  31st  of 
August,  1791,  fitting  the  boats,  during  which  time  the  sun 
took  such  an  effect  on  us — as  we  had  been  cooped  up  for 
five  months— that  we  had  our  skin  flayed  off  from  head  to 
foot.  We  kept  ourselves  covered  in  the  sand  during  the 
heat  of  the  day,  this  being  all  the  shelter  that  the  island 
afforded,  for  it  was  only  a  small  bank  washed  up  on  the 
reef,  scarcely  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  circuit,  and 
not  more  than  six  feet  above  the  level  at  high  water. 
During  the  night,  as  we  found  the  air  very  chilly,  and  hav- 
ing no  covering,  we  threw  up  a  bank  of  sand  to  sleep  un- 
der the  lee  of,  which  proved  but  an  indifferent  barrier,  as 
we  had  frequent  showers  of  rain,  sufficient  to  make  our 
lodging  very  miserable,  though  not  sufficient  to  save  any 
to  allay  our  thirst,  which  was  very  great.  We  tried  for 
water,  but  found  none,  and  Mr.  Corner,  making  a  fire,  got 
a  copper  kettle,  which  he  filled  with  salt-water,  made  it 
boil,  and  attended  to  it  all  night,  saving  the  drops  of 
steam  condensed  in  the  cover,  which  he  put  into  a  cup, 
till  a  spoonful  was  mustered. 

"One  of  the  Pandora's  people  (named  Connell)  went 
out  of  his  senses  from  drinking  salt-water. 

"On  the  30th  the  master  went  with  a  boat  to  the 
wreck,  to  see  if  any  thing  had  come  up,  the  topmast  heads 
being  out  of  water,  the  top-gallant  masts  struck.  He  re- 
turned with  part  of  the  top-gallant  masts,  which  he  sawed 
off  to  get  clear  of  the  cap,  and  with  a  cat  which  he  found 
sitting  on  the  cross-trees.  One  of  the  ship's  buoys  drifted 
past,  but  it  was  not  thought  worth  going  after,  though  we 
had  no  vessel  to  contain  water  when  we  should  find  it. 

"The  boats  being  ready  on  the  31st,  at  10  a.m.,  we  em- 
barked in  the  following  manner:   M'Intosh,  Ellison,  and 


88         THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

myself  in  the  pinnace,  with  Captain  Edwards,  Lieutenant 
Hayward,  and  nineteen  officers  and  men,  making  her  com- 
plement twenty-four.  In  the  launch  Peter  Heywood,  Jo- 
seph Coleman,  and  Michael  Byrne,  with  Lieutenant  Corner 
and  twenty-seven  officers  and  men — her  complement,  thir- 
ty-one. And  in  the  blue  yawl,  Norman  and  Muspratt, 
with  the  master  and  nineteen  officers  and  men;  making 
ninety-nine  souls  in  all.  In  this  situation  we  had  a  pas- 
sage of  between  four  and  five  hundred  leagues  to  run  be- 
fore we  could  reach  the  Dutch  settlement  on  Timor;  with 
the  scanty  allowance  of  two  musket-balls'  weight  of  bread, 
and  hardly  a  gill  of  water  and  wine  together  for  twenty- 
four  hours  under  a  scorching  sun.  This  slender  allowance 
of  food  and  water  was  always  served  out  at  noon." 

One  of  the  men  in  the  launch  with  Peter  Heywood  had 
tied  round  his  waist,  when  he  left  the  Pandora,  a  bag  of 
dollars — his  small  savings.  He  suffered  from  intense  thirst 
more  than  the  rest,  and  offered  the  dollars  to  the  compan- 
ion seated  next  to  him  on  condition  that  he  would  give 
up  the  wine-glassful  of  wine  and  water  about  to  be  served 
out  to  him.  The  man  looked  at  the  dollars,  then  at  the 
glass  which  the  owner  of  the  dollars  was  ready  to  seize, 
and  throwing  the  bag  back  to  him,  exclaimed,  "  They  are 
not  worth  to  me  this  draught  of  water."  Peter  Heywood 
was  wont  to  say  that  this  incident  taught  him  a  valuable 
lesson  as  to  the  just  value  of  things  in  this  world. 

On  account  of  their  intense  thirst  they  all  felt  incapable 
of  partaking  of  the  small  portion  of  biscuit  served  out  dai- 
ly to  each  person.  At  various  places  on  the  coast  of  New 
Holland  they  tried  in  vain  to  find  water,  and  where  small 
supplies  might  have  been  obtained,  the  natives  opposed 
their  landing  so  fiercely  that  they  were  obliged  to  keep 
off  the  coast,  as  they  were  too  weak  to  contend  with  them. 
At  a  small  uninhabited  island  in  the  vicinity  an  ample 
quantity  of  water  was  obtained  by  digging,  but  they  had 


BOAT-VOYAGE  TO  TIMOR.  89 

nothing  to  carry  it  in  except  their  boots  and  some  tarpau- 
lin bags.  These  contained  but  two  hundred  gallons  to 
supply  ninety-nine  people  for  fourteen  days — the  earliest 
date  at  which  they  could  reach  the  Island  of  Timor.  To 
recur  to  the  journal : 

"On  the  9th  of  September,"  writes  Morrison,  "  as  I  was 
lying  on  the  oars  talking  to  M'Intosh,  Captain  Edwards 
ordered  me  aft,  and  without  assigning  any  cause  ordered 
me  to  be  pinioned  with  a  cord,  and  lashed  down  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat,  and  Ellison,  who  was  asleep  there,  was 
ordered  the  same  punishment.  I  attempted  to  reason,  and 
inquired  what  I  had  now  done  to  be  thus  cruelly  treated, 
urging  the  distressed  condition  of  all,  but  received  for  an- 
swer, "  Silence,  you villain,  are  you  not  a  prisoner  ? 

You  piratical  dog !  what  do  you  expect  ?"  I  then  told 
him  that  it  was  a  disgrace  to  the  captain  of  a  man-of- 
war  to  treat  a  prisoner  in  such  an  inhuman  manner,  upon 
which  he  started  up  in  a  violent  rage,  and  snatching  a  pis- 
tol which  lay  in  the  stern-sheets,  threatened  to  shoot  me. 
I  still  attempted  to  speak,  upon  which  he  swore,  '  If  you 
speak  another  word  I'll  heave  the  log  at  you !'  and  finding 
that  he  would  hear  no  reason,  and  my  mouth  being  parch- 
ed so  that  I  could  scarcely  move  my  tongue,  I  was  forced 
to  be  silent  and  submit,  and  was  tied  down  so  that  I  could 
not  move. 

"  In  this  miserable  situation  Ellison  and  I  remained  for 
the  rest  of  the  passage,  nor  was  M'Intosh  suffered  to  come 
near  or  speak  to  either  of  us.  However,  we  made  our- 
selves as  easy  as  we  could,  and  on  the  15th  we  made  the 
Island  of  Timor,  where  the  boats  separated,  and  stood  in 
for  the  land ;  having  had  a  fine  breeze  and  fair  weather 
all  the  way. 

"  We  tried  for  water  at  several  places,  but  could  find 
none  till  the  16th  of  September,  in  the  morning,  when  we 
discovered  it  near  the  beach.  Here  the  launch  joined  us 
again,  and  we  proceeded  in  company.  We  reached  Con- 
pang  at  midnight,  and  came  to  a  grapnel  off  the  fort  till 


90  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

morning.  We  found  a  ship  in  the  roads,  and  a  number  o.f 
small  craft,  and  at  six  in  the  morning  the  captain  went  on 
shore  to  the  governor.  About  ten  we  were  landed,  and 
conducted  by  a  guard  to  the  governor's  house,  and  from 
thence  to  the  castle,  where,  notwithstanding  our  weak 
condition,  we  were  put  in  the  stocks  in  the  guard-room. 

"  On  the  19th  the  yawls  arrived,  and  we  were  joined  by 
our  fellow-prisoners,  whose  treatment  had  been  better,  but 
their  fare  the  same." 

They  remained  a  week  in  this  dirty  cell,  at  the  end  of 
which  the  Dutch  military  surgeon  paid  them  a  visit,  but 
he  was  unable  to  enter  until  the  slaves  had  washed  it,  a 
luxury  which  was  fully  appreciated.  He  also  gave  an  or- 
der that  the  irons  should  be  taken  off,  and  their  legs  only 
linked  together. 

"  We  remained  here  till  the  5th  of  October,"  says  the 
journalist,  "  when  we  were  removed  on  board  the  Rem- 
bang,  a  Dutch  ship,  then  in  the  roads,  and  Mr.  Larkin  be- 
ing the  officer  on  this  duty,  coming  to  the  prison  with  a 
guard,  with  cords  for  the  purpose,  pinioned  us  with  his 
own  hands,  setting  his  foot  against  our  backs,  and  bracing 
our  arms  together  so  as  almost  to  haul  them  out  of  the 
sockets.  We  were  tied  two  and  two  by  the  elbows,  and, 
having  our  irons  knocked  off,  were  conducted  to  the  beach 
and  put  on  board  a  long-boat,  to  proceed  to  the  ship.  Be- 
fore we  reached  her  some  of  us  fainted,  owing  to  the  cir- 
culation being  stopped  by  the  lashings.  When  we  got  on 
board  we  were  put  both  legs  in  irons,  and  our  lashings 
taken  off." 

The  old  Rembang  was  terribly  leaky,  and  only  kept 
from  foundering  by  the  pumps  going  night  and  day.  At 
first  this  work  was  performed  by  the  prisoners  in  turn,  but 
in  their  weakly  condition  it  was  found  necessary  to  remit 
this  hard  labor,  and  they  were  again  put  in  irons. 

After  a  tedious  and  dangerous  voyage  the  ship  arrived 


THE  RESOLUTION.— PRISONERS  AT  BAT  A  VIA.  91 

at  Samarang,  in  the  Island  of  Java,  on  the  30th  of  October. 
Here  they  found  the  missing  schooner,  the  Resolution, 
which  had  arrived  six  weeks  previously,  her  crew  having 
suffered  similar  privations  to  those  who  were  shipwrecked 
in  the  Pandora.  It  was  a  joyful  meeting  with  their  former 
shipmates,  as  they  had  been  given  up  for  lost.  Captain 
Edwards  ordered  her  to  be  refitted  and  provisioned,  to  ac- 
company him  and  the  same  unseaworthy  ship  to  Batavia. 
The  weather  proving  very  tempestuous,  he  was  obliged  to 
take  the  command  for  the  general  safety,  the  Dutch  cap- 
tain not  appearing  equal  to  the  task. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  after  a  passage  of  thirty-three 
days,  they  reached  Batavia.  The  prisoners  were  transfer- 
red on  board  an  old  hulk  in  the  harbor,  and  were  permit- 
ted to  come  up  on  deck  one  at  a  time  to  perform  their 
short  toilet  of  shaving  and  washing,  an  indulgence  which 
they  had  been  denied  during  so  many  months.  Here  Cap- 
tain Edwards,  wishing  to  make  some  acknowledgment  to 
the  Dutch  governor,  sold  the  Resolution  for  that  purpose, 
and  presented  him  with  a  sum  of  money,  distributing  the 
remainder  among  the  Pandora's  people.*  This  money  en- 
abled them  to  purchase  Nankeen  cloth,  and  they  employ- 
ed some  of  the  prisoners  to  make  up  suits  of  clothes,  pay- 
ing them  for  this  work.  The  prisoners  were  thus  enabled 
to  purchase  clothes  for  themselves.  Peter  Heywood  was 
an  expert  straw-plaiter,  and  manufactured  hats  very  neat- 
ly, for  which  he  was  paid  half  a  crown  each  ;  but  Captain 
Edwards  at  last  forbade  these  occupations — which  were 


*  She  was  afterwards  employed  in  the  sea-otter  trade,  and  made  the 
speediest  voyage  on  record  between  China  and  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
Subsequently  she  was  purchased  by  Captain  Broughton  at  Canton,  for  the 
purpose  of  surveying  the  coast  of  Tartary,  and  was  the  means  of  preserving 
the  crew  of  H.  M.  S.  Providence,  one  hundred  and  twelve  in  number,  when 
wrecked  in  1797  off  the  Island  of  Formosa. 


92         THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

also  of  use  in  relieving  the  tedium  of  imprisonment — and 
again  ordered  on  the  dreaded  manacles. 

The  prisoners  all  bore  grateful  testimony  to  the  kind 
treatment  of  the  Dutch  governor,  in  whose  custody  they 
did  not  endure  the  severities  or  the  privations  which  they 
had  suffered  while  under  the  charge  of  Captain  Edwards, 
a  British  commander. 

From  Batavia  Peter  Heywood  wrote  to  his  mother  as 

follows : 

"Batavia,  November  20th,  1791. 
"  My  ever  honored  and  dearest  Mother, — At  length 
the  time  has  arrived  when  you  are  once  more  to  hear  from 
your  ill-fated  son,  whose  conduct  at  the  capture  of  that 
ship  in  which  it  was  my  fortune  to  embark  has,  I  fear, 
from  what  has  since  happened  to  me,  been  grossly  mis- 
represented to  you  by  Lieutenant  Bligh,  who,  from  not 
knowing  the  real  cause  of  my  remaining  on  board,  natural- 
ly suspected  me — unhappily  for  me — to  be  an  accomplice 
in  the  mutiny.  I  never,  to  my  knowledge,  whilst  under 
his  command,  behaved  myself  in  a  manner  unbecoming  the 
station  I  occupied,  nor  so  much  as  entertained  a  thought  de- 
rogatory to  his  honor,  so  as  to  give  him  the  least  grounds 
for  entertaining  an  opinion  of  me  so  ungenerous  and  un- 
deserved ;  and  I  natter  myself  he  can  not  give  a  character 
of  my  conduct  whilst  I  was  under  his  tuition  that  could 
not  bear  the  strictest  scrutiny.  Oh  !  my  dearest  mother, 
I  hope  you  have  not  so  easily  credited  such  an  account  of 
me ;  do  but  let  me  vindicate  my  conduct,  and  declare  to 
you  the  true  cause  of  my  remaining  in  the  ship,  and  you 
will  then  see  how  little  I  deserve  censure,  and  how  I  have 
been  injured  by  so  gross  an  aspersion.  I  shall  then  give 
you  a  short  and  cursory  account  of  what  has  happened  to 
me  since  ;  though  I  am  afraid  to  say  a  hundredth  part  of 
what  I  have  got  in  store,  for  I  am  not  allowed  the  use  of 
writing-materials  if  known,  so  that  this  is  done  by  stealth ; 
but  if  it  should  ever  come  to  your  hands,  it  will,  I  hope, 
have  the  desired  effect  of  removing  your  uneasiness  on  my 


LETTER  OF  PETER  HEY  WOOD.  93 

account,  when  I  assure  you,  before  the  face  of  God,  of  my 
innocence  of  what  is  laid  to  my  charge. 

"All,  my  dearest  mother,  was  owing  to  my  youth  and 
unadvised  inexperience,  but  has  been  interpreted  into  vil- 
lainy and  disregard  of  my  country's  laws,  the  ill  effects 
of  which  I  at  present  suffer,  and  am  to  labor  under  for 
some  months  longer.  And  now,  after  what  I  have  assert- 
ed, I  may  still  once  more  retrieve  my  injured  reputation, 
be  again  reinstated  in  the  affection  and  favor  of  the  most 
tender  of  mothers,  and  be  still  considered  as  her  dutiful 
son. 

"  My  sufferings  I  have  not  power  to  describe ;  but 
though  they  are  great,  yet  I  thank  God  for  enabling  me 
to  bear  them  without  repining.  I  endeavor  to  qualify  my 
affliction  with  these  three  considerations :  first,  my  inno- 
cence not  deserving  them ;  secondly,  that  they  can  not 
last  long ;  and  thirdly,  that  the  change  may  be  for  the 
better.  The  first  improves  my  hopes,  the  second  my  pa- 
tience, and  the  third  my  courage.  I  am  young  in  years, 
but  old  in  what  the  world  calls  adversity ;  and  it  has  had 
such  an  effect  as  to  make  me  consider  it  the  most  benefi- 
cial incident  that  could  have  occurred  at  my  age.  It  has 
made  me  acquainted  with  three  things  which  are  little 
known,  and  as  little  believed  by  any  but  those  who  have 
felt  their  effects  :  first,  the  villainy  and  censoriousness  of 
mankind ;  secondly,  the  futility  of  all  human  hopes ;  and 
thirdly,  the  happiness  of  being  content  in  whatever  station 
it  may  please  Providence  to  place  me.  In  short,  it  has 
made  me  more  of  a  philosopher  than  many  years  of  a  life 
spent  in  ease  and  pleasure  would  have  done. 

"As  they  will,  no  doubt,  proceed  to  the  greatest  lengths 
against  me,  I  being  the  only  surviving  officer,  and  they 
most  inclined  to  believe  a  prior  story,  all  that  can  be  said 
to  confute  it  will  probably  be  looked  upon  as  mere  falsity 
and  invention.  Should  that  be  my  unhappy  case,  and 
they  resolved  upon  my  destruction  as  an  example  to  fu- 
turity, may  God  enable  me  to  bear  my  fate  with  the  forti- 
tude of  a  man,  conscious  that  misfortune,  not  any  miscon- 


94  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

duct,  is  the  cause,  and  that  the  Almighty  can  attest  my 
innocence.  Yet,  why  should  I  despond?  I  have,  I  hope, 
still  a  friend  in  that  Providence  which  hath  preserved  me 
amidst  many  greater  dangers,  and  upon  whom  alone  I  now 
depend  for  safety.  God  will  always  protect  those  who 
deserve  it.  These  are  the  sole  considerations  which  have 
enabled  me  to  make  myself  easy  and  content  under  my 
past  misfortunes.  Your  most  dutiful  and  ever  obedient 
son,  Peter  Heywood." 

Three  Dutch  ships  were  hired  to  convey  the  Pandora's 
ship's  company  and  the  prisoners  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope.  The  latter  were  confined  between  decks,  and  were 
again  compelled  to  sleep  on  bare  planks ;  and  the  Dutch 
purser  contriving  that  rations  even  insufficient  for  fourteen 
days  should  last  sixteen,  they  were  half  -  starved.  The 
deck  being  very  leaky,  they  were  alternately  drenched 
with  rain  or  salt-water,  as  the  vessel  rolled  terribly. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1792,  they  reached  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  and  the  prisoners  were  transferred  to  H.M.S. 
Gorgon.  In  the  absence  of  Captain  Parker,  who  com- 
manded her,  the  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Gardner,  received 
them  with  much  kindness.  They  were  only  chained  by 
one  leg,  and  Morrison  remarks,  "  Mr.  Gardner  very  hu- 
manely gave  us  a  sail  to  lie  upon,  a  luxury  we  had  not 
enjoyed  for  twelve  months."  They  were  also  allowed  to 
sit  on  deck  for  six  or  eight  hours  a  day,  to  enjoy  the 
fresh  air. 

They  continued  at  the  Cape  until  the  5th  of  April, 
when  the  Gorgon  was  ordered  to  England,  and  Captain 
Edwards  took  his  passage  in  her,  with  a  few  of  the  Pan- 
dora's crew  and  the  prisoners.  On  this  voyage  they  were 
received  with  due  consideration,  as  persons  who  were 
awaiting  their  trial.  Captain  Edwards,  on  the  contrary, 
neglecting  the  rules  prescribed  by  law,  had  treated  them 


ARRIVAL  AT  ENGLAND  95 

as  condemned  criminals ;  and,  even  granting  they  were  so, 
his  conduct  was  not  only  a  disgrace  to  the  service,  but  to 
common  humanity. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1792,  the  Gorgon  anchored  at 
Spithead.  A  few  days  afterwards  an  order  was  sent 
down  to  transfer  the  prisoners  on  board  the  Hector,  com- 
manded by  Captain  (afterwards  Sir  George)  Montague, 
who  was  a  gallant  officer  and  gentleman.  By  himself  and 
his  officers  they  were  treated  in  the  most  courteous  and 
considerate  manner,  every  indulgence  being  allowed  them 
compatible  with  their  position  and  safe  custody. 

Four  years  and  four  months  had  thus  elapsed  since 
these  people  left  England  in  the  Bounty,  with  happy  pros- 
pects and  expectations.  Fifteen  months  of  that  time  they 
had  been  principally  in  irons,  and  enduring  many  priva- 
tions and  much  needless  suffering ;  yet  the  health  of  sev- 
eral continued  good  throughout,  and  none  died  from  sick- 
ness, while  of  the  Pandora's  people  many  suffered  from 
fever,  and  several  died. 

In  a  letter  from  Peter  Hey  wood  to  his  mother  he  says : 
"  During  nearly  eighteen  months  of  my  imprisonment,  my 
health  has  been  excellent,  thank  God  !  notwithstanding 
my  anxieties  and  sufferings,  and  I  have  grown  two  inch- 
es." At  this  period  he  was  barely  nineteen.  In  another 
letter  he  mentions  that  the  suit  of  clothes  in  which  he 
appeared  on  board  the  Hector  was  made  by  his  compan- 
ions in  misfortune,  and  paid  for  with  the  money  he  re- 
ceived for  manufacturing  straw  hats. 

There  was  a  very  general  feeling  that  Captain  Edwards 
had  treated  the  prisoners  with  unnecessary  severity. 
When  he  was  appointed  to  the  Pandora  his  orders  were 
to  go  to  the  South  Seas,  in  search  of  the  Bounty,  and  the 
remainder  of  her  officers  and  crew,  and  to  bring  them  in 
safe  custody  to  England,  but  he  was  not  commanded  to 


96  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

treat  them  with  cruelty  and  ignominy.  Captain  Ed- 
wards, like  Lieutenant  Bligh,  was  of  a  harsh,  unfeeling 
nature,  but  it  is  one  of  the  happy  marks  of  progress  in 
this  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  that  the  service 
of  the  Royal  Navy  can  not  now  be  carried  on  as  it  was 
seventy  years  since.  No  captain  of  a  ship  of  war  can 
place  a  seaman  in  irons,  or  punish  him  from  mere  caprice 
or  ill-humor.  A  warrant  must  be  drawn  up  previous  to 
punishment ;  twenty-four  hours  must  elapse  between  the 
committal  of  an  offense  and  the  infliction  of  punishment, 
and  all  the  particulars,  with  the  amount  of  punishment, 
must  be  stated  in  writing,  signed  by  the  captain,  and 
transmitted  with  other  returns  to  the  Admiralty.  Scenes 
which  were  disgraceful  to  common  humanity,  and  in 
which  our  seamen  were  subjected  to  the  most  cruel  suf- 
ferings, are  now  happily  unknown,  and  placed  beyond  the 
possibility  of  recurrence.  Barbarity  and  ill-usage  have 
thus  given  place  to  kindliness  and  good-will,  and  service 
in  the  Royal  Navy  is  sought  for  in  these  days,  instead  of 
being  shunned  and  detested  as  in  former  times.  But 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  farther  we  look  back  into  the 
practices  of  former  years,  the  greater  are  the  cruelties  we 
find  sanctioned  by  severe  and  barbarous  laws. 


CONSEQUENCES  OF  THE  MUTINY.  97 


CHAPTER  VL 

Consequences  of  the  Mutiny. — Correspondence  previous  to  the  Court- 
martial. 

The  consequences  of  the  mutiny  were  as  unhappy  as 
its  design  was  criminal.  The  sufferings  of  Lieutenant 
Bligh  and  his  companions  on  the  boat-voyage  have  been 
already  narrated.  The  accomplishment  of  such  an  unprec- 
edented passage  of  three  thousand  miles  across  an  open 
sea  must  have  been  both  severe  and  perilous. 

Then  followed  the  search  for  the  officers  and  crew  of  the 
Bounty  who  had  remained  in  her,  the  miseries  of  those 
incarcerated  on  board  the  Pandora,  and  finally  the  total 
wreck  of  that  ship,  in  which  thirty  of  her  crew  and  four 
of  the  prisoners  perished.  Sad  as  were  these  events  in 
themselves,  they  appear  more  so  when  we  reflect  on  the 
amount  of  affliction  which  they  must  have  caused  in  the 
homes  of  bereaved  relatives  and  friends.  How  many  a 
wife  and  mother  was  destined  to  regard  the  Bounty  as  a 
source  of  sorrow  too  deep  for  utterance !  But  still  the 
Nemesis  of  this  daring  crime  was  not  yet  appeased,  and 
perhaps  one  of  the  saddest  results  was  that  it  confounded 
the  innocent  with  the  guilty,  and  caused  those  who  were 
powerless  to  resist  to  be  viewed  as  sympathizing  with  its 
perpetrators. 

Peter  Heywood  was  among  those  who  suffered  from 
this  false  suspicion,  and  we  shall  commence  this  painful 
subject  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Hallett  (who  had  been  mid- 
shipman on  board  the  Bounty),  in  reply  to  one  from  Miss 
Nessy  Heywood,*  sister  of  Peter. 

*  See  chap,  i.,  p.  21. 
5 


98  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"Savage,  Lochryan,  29th  of  March,  1792. 
"Madam, — Your  affecting  letter,  dated  February  12th, 
did  not  come  to  hand  till  the  15th  of  this  month,  which  I 
take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  answering,  and  assure  you 
that  I  sympathize  strongly  in  your  grief,  and  will,  as  far 
as  in  me  lies,  answer  your  different  interrogations.  I  shall 
begin  with  saying  that  before  the  unfortunate  period  at 
which  the  mutiny  in  the  Bounty  took  place,  the  conduct 
of  your  brother  was  such  as  to  have  procured  him  an  uni- 
versal esteem;  but  what  were  the  unpropitious  motives 
by  which  he  was  actuated  to  side  with  the  criminal  party 
I  am  totally  ignorant  of,  nor  can  I  (as  you  may  readily 
conceive  it  was  a  time  of  great  confusion  among  us)  de- 
clare positively  the  part  he  acted  in  it.  Should  I  ever  be 
called  upon  to  give  my  evidence — which  you  must  be 
sensible  will  be  a  distressing  thing  for  a  person  of  any 
feeling  to  give,  against  those  with  whom  he  has  formerly 
lived  in  habits  of  intimacy — notwithstanding  the  friend- 
ship I  had  for  your  brother,  I  shall  be  strictly  bound  by 
oath  to  adhere  to  truth,  though  I  hope,  if  ever  a  trial 
should  take  place,  that  the  consideration  of  his  youth  at 
the  time  he  committed  the  rash  act  will  plead  with  the 
jury  in  his  favor.  I  am,  madam,  your  most  obedient  hum- 
ble servant,  John  Hallett." 

Captain  Pasley*  to  his  niece,  Miss  N".  Heywood  (who 

*  Captain  Pasley  had  been  lieutenant  on  board  one  of  the  English  frig- 
ates under  the  command  of  Admiral  Elliott,  when  an  engagement  took 
place  in  Ramsay  Bay,  Isle  of  Man,  in  which  the  French,  under  Admiral 
Thurot,  were  defeated.  A  mound  on  a  promontory  which  stretches  into 
the  bay  covers  the  remains  of  the  French  sailors  who  were  interred  there, 
and  is  a  trophy  of  English  valor  and  prowess.  It  may  be  imagined  how 
much  the  officers  and  crews  of  the  victorious  ships  were  feted  throughout 
the  island.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  Lieutenant  Pasley  met  Mr.  Hey- 
wood of  the  Nunnery,  with  one  of  his  beautiful  sisters,  a  lady  whom  he 
greatly  admired,  and  soon  afterwards  married.  This  excellent  officer,  be- 
ing in  constant  employment,  speedily  attained  the  rank  of  post-captain,  and 
commanded  the  Bellerophon  in  the  action  of  June  1st  under  Earl  Howe. 
She  suffered  in  the  engagement,  lost  many  men,  and  her  gallant  command- 


THE  HEYWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE.  99 

had  written  to  him  in  great  anxiety  as  to  her  brother's 
position). 

"  Sheerness,  June  8th,  1792. 

"  Would  to  God,  my  dearest  Nessy,  that  I  eould  rejoice 
with  you  on  the  early  prospect  of  your  brother's  arrival 
in  England !  One  division  of  the  Pandora's  people  is  ar- 
rived, and  are  now  on  board  the  Vengeance  (my  ship). 
Captain  Edwards,  with  the  remainder,  and  all  the  prison- 
ers late  of  the  Bounty,  in  number  ten  (four  having  been 
drowned  on  the  loss  of  that  ship),  are  daily  expected. 
They  have  been  most  rigorously  and  closely  confined  since 
taken,  and  will  continue  so,  I  have  no  doubt,  till  Bligh's 
arrival.  You  have  no  chance  of  seeing  him,  for  no  bail 
can  be  offered.  Your  intelligence  of  his  swimming  off,  on 
the  Pandora's  arrival,  is  unfounded — a  man  of  the  name 
of  Coleman  came  off  as  she  anchored ;  your  brother  and 
Mr.  Stewart  next  day.  This  last  youth,  when  the  Pandora 
was  lost,  refused  to  allow  his  irons  to  be  taken  off  to  save 
his  life.  I  can  not  conceal  it  from  you,  my  dearest  Nessy, 
neither  is  it  proper  I  should,  that  your  brother  appears  by 
all  accounts  to  be  the  greatest  culprit  of  all,  Christian 
alone  excepted.  Every  exertion,  you  may  rest  assured,  I 
shall  use  to  save  his  life ;  but  on  trial  I  have  no  hope  of 
his  not  being  condemned.  Three  of  the  ten  who  are  ex- 
pected are  mentioned  in  Bligh's  narrative  as  men  detained 
against  their  inclination ;  would  to  God  your  brother  had 
been  of  that  number  ! 

"  I  will  not  distress  you  more  by  enlarging  on  this  sub- 
ject;  as  intelligence  arises  on  their  arrival  you  shall  be 

er  had  his  leg  shot  off.  On  the  return  of  the  victorious  fleet  to  Spithead, 
the  king  and  royal  family  went  down  to  Portsmouth  to  inspect  the  victori- 
ous ships.  Honors  on  this  occasion  were  conferred  on  the  most  distin- 
guished officers,  and  among  them  Captain  Pasley  was  created  a  baronet. 
He  had  only  two  daughters,  and  on  account  of  his  services,  as  well  as  the 
importance  of  the  event,  the  king  was  pleased  to  grant  his  request  that 
the  title  should  descend  in  the  female  line.  He  was  grandfather  of  Ad- 
miral Sir  Thomas  Sabine  Pasley,  Bart.,  late  commander-in-chief  at  Ports- 
mouth. 


100  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

made  acquainted.  Adieu !  my  dearest  Nessy ;  present  my 
affectionate  remembrance  to  your  mother  and  sisters,  and 
believe  me  always,  with  the  warmest  affection, 

"  Your  uncle,  Thos.  Pasley." 

Immediately  on  his  arrival  Peter  Heywood  wrote  to  his 

mother  and  sisters;   and  in  a  letter  to  Richard  Betham, 

Esq.*  (a  friend  of  the  family)   he  expresses  himself  as 

follows : 

"Gorgon,  Spithead,  June  20th,  1792. 

"  Honored  Sir, — Impressed  with  a  high  sense  of  grati- 
tude for  your  former  kindness  to  me,  I  think  it  is  a  duty 
incumbent  on  me  to  make  you  acquainted  with  my  ar- 
rival here  on  the  19th  instant,  a  prisoner  on  board  H.M.S. 
Gorgon  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Alas !  dear  sir, 
how  unfortunate  hath  that  voyage  been  to  me,  the  pros- 
pects of  which  appeared  so  promising  when  your  goodness 
was  the  means  of  placing  me  under  the  care  and  protec- 
tion of  Mr.  Bligh.  I  fear  he,  upon  his  arrival  in  England, 
put  a  misconstruction  on  my  conduct  when  that  unhappy 
mutiny  happened;  to  which  misrepresentation  I  must  at- 
tribute my  severe  and  undeserved  confinement.  I  have 
already,  in  a  letter  to  my  widowed  mother  from  Batavia, 
fully  explained  my  conduct  on  that  day,  and  my  reasons 
for  it,  which  I  hope  she  has  communicated  to  you;  but 
lest  she  may  have  omitted  that  point,  or  that  the  letter 
may  by  any  means  have  miscarried,  I  shall  again,  sir,  give 
you  a  short  sketch  of  it,  and  sincerely  hope  it  may  be  the 
means  of  eradicating  from  the  minds  of  all  my  friends  any 
undeserved  ill-opinion  they  may  have  conceived  of  me, 
and  of  reinstating  me  in  their  wonted  favor  and  esteem, 
the  loss  of  wThich  would  equal  death.  (He  then  proceeds 
with  an  account  similar  to  that  already  given  in  his  letter 
from  Batavia,  down  to  the  time  of  Bligh's  leaving  the 
ship.) 

"  Thus,  my  dear  sir,  you  may  suppose  my  conduct  must 

*  A  relative  of  Mrs.  Bligh's. 


THE  HETWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE.  101 

have  appeared  unaccountable  to  Mr.  Bligh,  who  naturally 
imagined  me  to  be  a  coadjutor  in  the  mutiny;  but  alas! 
God,  who  knows  the  integrity  of  my  heart,  can  judge  how 
little  I  have  deserved  that  aspersion,  and  how  undeserved- 
ly I  am  now  suffering  this  close  confinement. 

"  I  have  only  to  add  that  I  got  ashore  at  Tahiti  as  soon 
as  it  was  in  my  power,  and  when  I  had  permission ;  and 
after  being  about  nineteen  months  there,  on  the  26th  of 
March,  1791,  on  the  arrival  of  H.M.S.  Pandora,  I  imme- 
diately went  on  board,  and  made  my  case  known  to  Cap- 
tain Edwards,  who  made  me  a  prisoner,  and  such  I  have 
continued  to  the  present  hour. 

"  On  the  loss  of  the  Pandora,  on  the  29th  of  August,  I 
narrowly  escaped  shipwreck ;  and  again  in  a  Dutch  India- 
man.  My  sufferings  have  been  great;  but  that  Provi- 
dence which  hath  ever  protected  me,  and  on  whom  alone 
I  rely  for  succor,  will  to  the  innocent  still  continue  his 
protection. 

"  Believe  me,  sir,  this  is  the  true  cause  of  my  remaining 
on  board  the  Bounty,  and  my  thoughts  that  Captain  Bligh 
hath  misrepresented  me,  arise  only  from  my  being  kept 
so  close  a  prisoner,  and  not  from  any  consciousness  that  I 
ever  deserved  even  to  be  suspected  of  so  heinous  a  crime ; 
but  I  still  flatter  myself  that  he  can  have  said  none 
other  of  me  than  that  I  was  always  dutiful  to  him  and 
all  my  superior  officers,  and  ever  delighted  and  obedient 
in  executing  any  duty  imposed  on  me.  Therefore,  may 
I  hope,  dear  sir,  that  this  may  serve  to  turn  your  cen- 
sure of  me  (if  any  has  yet  taken  place)  into  pity  for  my 
youth,  inexperience,  and  misfortunes;  and  once  more  be 
assured  I  have  done  my  duty,  both  to  my  Maker  and  man- 
kind. 

"  With  the  most  profound  respect,  believe  me,  my  dear 
and  honored  sir,  your  ever  dutiful  and  most  obliged,  but 
unhappy  servant,  Peter  Heywood. 

"  P.S. — May  I  beg  of  you,  sir,  to  favor  my  dear  unhappy 
mother  with  a  sight  of  this  letter  ?  and  if  you  will  honor 
rae  with  a  line  of  comfort,  let  it  be  conveyed  to  me  through 


102  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

her  hands,  as  I  have  given  her  precautions  relative  to  my 
present  situation."* 

The  first  letters  he  received  after  his  arrival  at  Ports- 
mouth were  from  his  mother  and  sisters,  dated  as  follows : 

Mrs.  Heywood  to  Peter  Heywood. 

"Isle  of  Man,  June  29th,  1792. 

"  Oh,  my  ever  dearly  beloved  and  long-lost  son,  with 
what  anxiety  have  I  waited  for  this  period !  I  have  count- 
ed the  days,  hours,  and  even  minutes,  since  I  first  heard  of 
the  horrid  and  unfortunate  mutiny,  which  has  so  long  de- 
prived me  of  my  dearest  boy ;  but  now  the  happy  time  is 
come — and  I  can  not  have  the  unspeakable  pleasure  of  see- 
ing and  embracing  you,  yet  I  hope  we  may  be  allowed  to 
correspond.  Surely  there  can  be  nothing  improper  in  a 
liberty  of  this  sort  between  an  affectionate  mother  and  her 
dutiful  and  beloved  son,  who,  I  am  perfectly  convinced, 
was  never  guilty  of  the  crime  he  has  been  suspected  of  by 
those  who  did  not  know  his  worth  and  truth ;  and  I  have 
not  the  least  doubt  but  that  Divine  and  All-gracious  God, 
who  of  his  providence  has  protected  you  so  long,  and 
brought  you  safe  through  so  many  dangers  and  difficulties, 
will  still  protect  you,  and  make  your  innocence  appear  at 
your  trial  as  clear  as  the  light. 

"All  your  letters  have  come  safe  to  me  and  my  very 
dear  good  Nessy.  Ah,  Peter,  with  what  real  joy  did  we 
all  receive  them,  and  how  happy  are  we  that  you  are  now 
safe  in  England  !  I  will  endeavor,  my  dearest  lad,  to  make 
your  present  situation  as  comfortable  as  possible,  for  so 
affectionate  and  good  a  son  deserves  my  utmost  attention. 
Nessy  has  written  to  our  faithful  and  kind  friend  Mr.  Hey- 
wood, of  Plymouth,  for  his  advice,  whether  it  would  be 
proper  for  her  to  come  up  to  you.  Your  uncle  Pasley  ap- 
proves of  it,  provided  he  does ;  and  I  hope  we  shall  have 
his  answer  by  the  next  packet.     If  he  consents  to  her  do- 

*  His  letters  had  to  be  read  by  an  officer  before  he  received  them. 


THE  HEYWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE.  103 

iug  so,  not  a  moment  shall  be  lost ;  and  how  happy  shall  I 
be  when  she  is  with  you — such  a  sister  as  she  is.  Oh,  Pe- 
ter, she  is  an  invaluable  girl !  What  comfort  will  she  give 
you,  and  how  will  she  lessen  the  many  tedious  hours  you 
must,  I  fear,  pass  in  your  confinement !  But  keep  up  your 
spirits,  my  charming  boy,  take  care  of  your  health,  which 
is  so  dear  to  me,  and  put  your  full  trust  in  that  Supreme 
Being  who  never  has,  nor  ever  will  forsake  you. 

"  I  will  not  tell  you  the  grief  and  anguish  I  and  all  your 
brothers  and  sisters  felt  when  we  first  heard  of  the  horrid 
mutiny,  and  that  you  were  not  returned.  It  was  a  sor- 
rowful time,  indeed ;  but  we  had  a  full  confidence  in  your 
innocence,  knowing  so  well  the  perfect  goodness  of  your 
heart,  morals,  and  disposition.  Every  interest  possible  we 
have  made.  I  have  desired  Mr.  Heywood  to  remit  you 
money  for  whatever  you  want,  and  I  shall,  by  the  first  op- 
portunity from  this,  send  you  the  various  articles  you  re- 
quire. 

"My  good  Birkett*  is  very  well,  and  says  your  safe  re- 
turn has  made  her  more  happy  than  she  has  been  for  the 
two  and  forty  years  passed  in  our  family.  Oh,  happy, 
happy  day  when  you  shall  arrive  home  !  With  what 
pleasure  do  I  look  forward  to  it,  after  all  your  suffer- 
ings! 

"As  Nessy  writes,  I  will  leave  her  to  tell  you  all  that  I 
have  omitted ;  but  let  me  not  forget  to  say  how  grateful 
I  am  to  those  young  men  who  on  your  voyage  home  so 
kindly  supplied  you  with  the  little  necessaries  they  could 
spare.  , 

"  May  the  Almighty  still  protect  and  bless  my  dearest 
boy,  is  the  continual  prayer  of  your  most  affectionate 
mother,  Elizabeth  Heywood." 

*  Betty  Birkett  had  been,  when  a  girl,  received  into  Mr.  Spedding's 
family  as  the  personal  attendant  of  his  daughter  Elizabeth  ;  and  upon  her 
marriage  with  Mr.  Heywood,  Betty  accompanied  her  young  mistress  to 
the  Isle  of  Man,  became  the  nurse  of  her  children,  and  the  faithful  and 
devoted  friend  of  Mrs.  Heywood's  declining  years. 


104  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Nessy  Heywood  to  Peter  Heywood. 

"  My  dearest  and  most  beloved  Brother, — Thanks 
to  that  Almighty  Providence  which  has  so  miraculously 
preserved  you,  your  fond,  anxious,  and  till  now  miserable 
Nessy,  is  at  last  permitted  to  address  the  object  of  her 
tenderest  affection,  in  England  !  Oh,  my  admirable,  my 
honest  boy,  what  have  we  felt  on  your  account !  yet  how 
small,  how  infinitely  trifling  seems  the  misery  of  our  situa- 
tion when  compared  with  the  horrors  of  yours !  Let  me 
now,  however,  with  confidence  hope  that  the  God  of  all 
mercies  has  not  so  long  protected  you  in  vain,  but  will  at 
length  crown  your  fortitude  and  pious  resignation  to  his 
will,  with  that  peace  and  happiness  which  you  so  richly 
merit.  How  blest  did  your  delightful  (and  yet,  I  will 
add),  dreadful  letter  from  Batavia  make  us  all !  yet,  believe 
me,  it  was  in  some  degree  fortunate  that  it  arrived  by  the 
packet  before  last,  for  the  apprehensions  we  then  felt  for 
your  health  and  safety  were  almost  insupportable.  Alas  ! 
I  think  I  could  scarcely  have  borne  them  another  week. 
Providentially,  however,  your  two  other  letters  (mention- 
ing your  arrival  in  England)  came  by  the  last  packet  to 
relieve  our  fears,  and  render  you,  if  that  were  possible, 
more  dear  to  us  than  ever.  So  well  did  we  know  your 
amiable  steady  principles,  that  we  were  assured  your  rea- 
sons for  staying  behind  would  be  exactly  what  you  repre- 
sent them;  and  I  firmly  trust  that  Providence  will  at 
length  restore  you  to  those  dear  and  affectionate  friends 
who  can  know  no  happiness  till  they  are  blest  with  your 
loved  society.  Take  care  of  your  precious  health.  Alas  ! 
you  say  you  are  weakly,  and  I  fear  it  is  but  too  true ;  but 
I  shall,  I  hope,  soon  be  with  you.  I  have  written  to  Mr. 
Heywood  (your  and  our  excellent  friend  and  protector) 
for  his  permission  to  go  to  you  immediately,  which  my  un- 
cle Heywood,  without  first  obtaining  it,  would  not  allow, 
fearing  any  precipitate  step  should  injure  you  at  present. 
I  only  wait  the  moment  I  may  fly  to  you.  Your  most  af- 
fectionate and  admiring  sister,  Nessy  Heywood. 


THE  HEYWOOD   CORRESPONDENCE.  105 

"P.S. — Mr.  Bligh  is  gone  to  the  South  Seas;  but  we 
must  hope  the  best.  Dr.  Scott,  my  dearest  brother,  is  on 
tnis  and  every  other  occasion  respecting  you  a  second  fa- 
ther; his  attention  is  beyond  any  thing,  and  his  anxiety 
greater  than  I  can  express ;  but  Mary  is  impatient  to 
scribble  a  little." 

COMMODORE  PASLEY  to  PETER  HEYWOOD. 

"Sheerness,  July  6th,  1792. 

"My  dear  Peter, — Captain  Montague  writes  me  that 
he  has  delivered  a  memorial  from  you  to  the  Lords  of  the 
Admiralty.  Mr.  Delafons,  my  particular  friend,  who  has 
been  with  you,  is  a  very  sensible,  judicious  man.  Consult 
him  on  every  step  you  take,  as  no  person  can  be  a  better 
judge  of  the  proper  mode  of  defense.  I  have  seen  Mr. 
Fryer,  the  master,  and  Cole,  the  boatswain — both  favora- 
ble evidences.  To-day  I  set  off  for  Woolwich  and  Dept- 
ford  to  endeavor  to  see  the  gunner  and  carpenter;  and 
shall  try,  as  I  return,  to  see  Hay  ward  and  Hallett. 

"  I  have  tried  to  get  the  rigor  of  your  confinement  miti- 
gated, but  find  that  at  present  nothing  can  be  done  as  to 
enlargement.  The  Admiralty,  I  find,  have  laid  your  cases 
before  the  Crown  lawyers  for  their  opinion,  whether  you 
shall  be  tried  by  a  naval  court-martial  or  Admiralty 
Court;  but  as  yet  no  answer  is  received.  Rest  assured 
of  my  utmost  exertions.  Whenever  you  are  tried  I  shall 
attend;  at  present  you  are  surrounded  by  my  friends. 
Kind  compliments  to  Mr.  Delafons.  Let  him  constantly 
write  me  how  I  can  serve  your  cause. 

"I  am,  believe  me,  with  great  truth,  your  affectionate 
uncle,  Thomas  Pasley." 

Nessy  Heywood  to  Peter  Heywood. 

"  My  ever  dearest  Brother, — I  have  a  piece  of  intel- 
ligence for  you,  my  dearest ;  Mrs.  Bertie*  (Mr.  Heywood's 

*  Mr.  Heywood,  of  Maristow,  near  Plymouth,  had  three  daughters,  cele- 
brated for  their  beauty.  One  became  the  wife  of  the  Hon.  Captain  Bertie, 
R.N.,  another  married  Mr.  Musters,  and  the  third  Mr.  Orby  Hunter. 


106  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

daughter)  is  now  at  Portsmouth  on  board  the  Edgar, 
which  Captain  Bertie  commands.  How  I  envy  her  situa- 
tion in  thus  being  near  you !  Ah,  my  dearest  Peter,  she  fs 
an  angel  of  a  woman !  It  is  by  her  kind  care  and  atten- 
tion that  you  are  furnished  with  every  thing  you  may 
have  occasion  for;  and  in  a  most  charming  letter  which 
my  mamma  received  yesterday,  she  tells  us  that  she  had 
sent  a  friend  of  her  own  (Mr.  Larkham,  I  suppose)  to  see 
you,  and  assures  us  that  he  gave  the  most  favorable  ac- 
count of  your  looks  and  health.  How  exquisitely  happy 
did  this  account  of  you  make  us,  and  how  anxiously  shall 
we  wish  for  a  continuance  of  those  blessings  to  our  dear 
boy !  I  have  not  yet  had  an  answer  from  Mr.  HeyWood  to 
the  letter  in  which  I  requested  his  permission  to  go  to 
you ;  but  expect  it  by  the  next  packet. 

"  If  you  have  received  the  letters  we  have  already  writ- 
ten to  yoUj  they  will  inform  you  of  the  situation  of  our 
family.  Mamma  writes  next,  and  we  shall,  as  you  desire, 
forbear  to  tell  you  any  thing  it  would  be  desirable  to  con- 
ceal from  the  world;  though,  with  respect  to  yourself,  my 
dear  excellent  brother,  as  we  are  all  persuaded  of  your 
worth  and  innocence,  we  have  no  secret  to  hide. 

"  Farewell,  my  best  brother,  may  all  good  angels  guard 
thee !     May  that  beneficent  Being,  who  has  hitherto  pre- 
served my  brother,  watch  over  him  still,  is  the  prayer  of 
"  His  ever  fondly  affectionate  sister, 

"  Nessy  Heywood." 

Petee  Heywood  to  Mes.  Heywood. 

"H.M.S.  Hector,  July  12th,  1792. 
"My  dear  and  honored  Mother, — I  have  this  day, 
with  unspeakable  joy,  perused  your  letter  and  my  sister 
Nessy's  of  the  29th,  for  which  I  had  long  waited  with  the 
most  anxious  impatience.  I  am  happy  to  find  you  have 
received  all  my  letters,  in  which  I  endeavored  to  relieve 
my  dear  mother's  mind  as  much  as  possible  on  my  ac- 
count— thanks  be  to  God  they  have  had  that  effect !  I 
have  written  two  or  three  from  hence,  in  which  vou  will 


THE  HEY  WOOD   CORRESPONDENCE.  107 

find  the  many  marks  of  kindness  and  friendship  which  I 
have  received  from  Mr.  Heywood  and  my  uncle  Pasley. 
I  there  expressed  my  desire  that  none  of  my  relations 
might  come  here  to  see  me,  as  they  certainly  will  not  be 
allowed  that  privilege,  and  hope  it  may  have  prevented 
my  dearest  sister  Nessy  from  proceeding  on  so  long  a 
journey,  which  I  am  sure  must  end  in  chagrin  and  dis- 
appointment. 'Tis  impossible  for  her  to  wish  more  for 
such  an  interview  than  I  do,  but  it  can  not  be;  and 
how  disagreeable  would  she  feel  her  situation  on  her  ar- 
rival, unable  to  see  me,  the  sole  object  of  a  long  and 
tedious  journey.  Patience,  therefore,  is  requisite  for  a 
time. 

"  I  have  not  as  yet  received  the  box  you  were  so  good 
as  to  send  me,  but  it  will  most  likely  be  here  in  a  day  or 
two.  I  am  sorry,  very  sorry,  to  hear  that  poor  little  Hen- 
ry has  gone  to  .sea — God  help  him !  He,  like  me,  knew  not 
the  troubles  he  was  so  soon  to  encounter — I  wish  he  were 
safe  at  home  again.  I  can  not  tell  you  how  soon  my  trial 
may  come  on ;  but  we  must  wait  with  patience  and  resig- 
nation for  the  time  when  I  shall  be  freed  from  the  load  of 
infamy  I  now  bear.  I  have  many  questions  to  ask  you, 
but  shall  be  content  with  my  present  knowledge  till  a 
more  favorable  opportunity.  My  best  respects  to  Dr. 
Scott  and  all  my  other  friends ;  and  praying  that  God 
may  preserve  the  health  of  my  dearest  mother, 

"  I  remain  your  most  obedient  and  dutiful  son, 

"Peter  Heywood." 

He  wrote  at  the  same  time  a  most  affectionate  letter  to 
his  sister,  in  which  he  said : 

"Notwithstanding  my  anxiety  to  embrace  you, nothing, 
my  beloved  Nessy,  could  give  me  more  pain  than  your  ar- 
rival here.  It  is  for  your  own  dear  sake  only,  as  the  dis- 
appointment would  occasion  you  a  sorrow  greater  than 
at  present  you  have  any  idea  of,  for  you  have  not  experi- 
enced the  pain  of  such  a  restriction.  To  me,  alas !  it  is 
quite  familiar.     I  send  you  two  little  sketches  of  the  man- 


108  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

ner  in  which  H.M.S.  Pandora  went  down  on  the  29th  of 
August,  and  the  appearance  we,  who  survived,  made  on 
the  small  sandy  quay  within  the  reef  (about  ninety  yards 
long  and  sixty  athwart),  in  all  ninety-nine  souls.*  Here  we 
remained  three  days,  subsisting  upon  two  ounces  of  bread 
and  a  single  wine-glass  of  wine-and-water  a  day,  and  no 
shelter  from  the  meridian  (and  then  vertical)  sun.  Cap- 
tain Edwards  had  tents  erected  for  himself  and  his  people ; 
and  we  prisoners  petitioned  him  for  an  old  sail  which  was 
lying  useless,  part  of  the  wreck,  but,  although  in  the  lati- 
tude of  11°  south,  he  refused  it,  and  all  the  shelter  we  had 
was  to  bury  ourselves  up  to  the  neck  in  the  burning  sand, 
which  scorched  the  skin  (we  being  without  clothes)  entire- 
ly off  our  bodies,  as  if  we  had  been  dipped  in  large  cal- 
drons of  boiling  water.  We  were  nineteen  days  in  the 
same  miserable  situation  before  we  landed  at  Coupang. 
From  this  you  may  have  some  faint  idea  of  our  wretched 
condition.  I  was  in  the  ship  in  irons,  hands  and  feet, 
much  longer  than  till  the  position  you  now  see  her  in — 
the  poop  alone  being  above  water  (and  that  knee-deep) — 
when  Providence  assisted  me  to  get  out  of  irons  and  from 
her.  With  sincere  love  and  duty  to  my  dearest  mother, 
"Ever  your  most  affectionate  brother, 

"Peter  Heywood." 

ETessy  Heywood  to  Peter  Heywood — (Extract). 

"  Isle  of  Man,  July  22d,  1792. 
"  I  think  I  have  not  yet,  in  any  of  my  letters,  my  dear- 
est Peter,  mentioned  one  single  article  of  news ;  indeed  I 
was,  and  am  still,  too  much  interested  in  one  subject  to 
think  with  pleasure  on  any  other;  but  it  is  selfish  not  to 
consult  your  gratification  as  well  as  my  own,  and  'tis  nat- 
ural to  suppose  you  must  wish  to  know  something  of  our 
transactions  during  your  long  absence.  I  shall  be  suffi- 
ciently happy  in  affording  you  some  amusement, be  it  ever 
so  trifling 

*  Drawn  by  himself,  and  now  engraved  for  this  volume. 


DESTRUCTION  OF   H.M.S.   PANDORA. 

Daybreak,  Aug.  29th,  1791. 


ON  A   SANDY   ISLET. 

Noon,  Aug.  29th,  1791. 


THE  HEYWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE.  Ill 

"We  do  not  live  in  the  same  house  as  when  you  left 
us,  but  in  one  Mr.  Bacon  had  on  the  parade,  where  we  have 
a  fine  prospect  of  the  sea,  and  shall  one  day,  I  hope,  look 
with  longing  eyes  towards  it  for  the  vessel  which  will 
bring  our  adored  Peter.  Do  you  recollect  the  drawing- 
room  ?  My  organ  (upon  which  I  practise  with  unceas- 
ing assiduity,  that  I  may  entertain  my  loved  Peter,  and 
which,  while  sorrowing  for  his  mournful  and  tedious  ab- 
sence, was  my  chief  amusement  and  consolation)  forms 
no  inconsiderable  part  of  its  ornamental  furniture ;  over 
the  mantel-piece  hangs  your  drawing  of  Nadir  Shah,  and 
round  the  room  Mary's  and  my  drawings.  How  often 
have  I  sat  for  hours  in  this  very  room  (where  I  now 
write)  to  contemplate  that  picture,  the  performance  of 
my  dear  brother. 

"Adieu !  my  best  ever-loved  Peter ;  take  care  of  your- 
self, and  may  the  God  of  mercies  bless  and  preserve  you 
from  all  dangers  ;  may  He  protect  your  injured  innocence, 
and  soon,  very  soon  restore  you  to  those  who  love  you 
better  than  any  other  earthly  being.  Mamma,  brothers, 
sisters,  and  all  friends  desire  to  say  every  thing  that  love 
and  tenderness  can  address  to  you.  Keep  up  your  spirits, 
dear,  dear  Peter,  for  the  sake  of  your  most  fond  and  faith- 
ful sister,  Nessie  Heywood." 

Extract  from  a  letter  of  Peter  Heywood  to  Nessy 
Heywood. 

"  Hector,  July  22d,  1792. 

"  My  beloved  Sistee, — I  am  sorry  to  find  that  the  sup- 
position I  had  mentioned  to  my  mother  in  my  letter  from 
Batavia,  of  Captain  Bligh's  suspecting  me  to  be  one  of 
the  mutineers,  was  not  groundless.  Was  my  conduct  at 
any  time  such  as  to  give  him  the  smallest  reason  to  dis- 
trust my  behavior,  or  even  my  thoughts  ?  The  Omnipo- 
tent Searcher  of  hearts  alone  can  prove  it  never  was ! 
Did  he  then  write  to  you  to  that  effect  ?  Alas  !  and  had 
he  so  mean  an  opinion  of  my  disposition  and  morals? 
But  I  forgive  his  cruelty,  and  may  God  do  the  same ;  yet 


112  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

I  think  he  might  have  known  me  better.  Oh,  Nessy  !  how 
I  wish  this  letter  had  not  come  to  my  hand !  That  he, 
the  first  commander  I  ever  was  with,  deemed  me  a  mu- 
tineer. Oh  heavens  !  the  thought  is  almost  insupporta- 
ble !  This  letter  has  given  me  more  anxiety  than  all  the 
numerous  and  complicated  scenes  of  horror  and  misery 
with  which  I  have  been  familiar,  since  I  was  first  a  prey 
to  misfortune." 

In  a  letter  to  her  brother,  dated  July  31st,  1792,  Nessy 
Heywood  remarks : 

"Mr.  Bligh  has  most  certainly  branded  my  amiable 
brother  with  the  vile  appellation  of  mutineer,  but  he  has 
not  dared  to  charge  you  with  any  crime  that  could  have 
authorized  such  an  epithet;  on  the  contrary,  he  has  de- 
clared, under  his  own  hand,  that  he  had  the  highest  esteem 
for  you*  till  the  fatal  moment  of  the  mutiny,  and  that  your 
conduct  during  the  whole  course  of  the  voyage  was  such  as 
gave  him  the  greatest  pleasure  and  satisfaction.  So  high, 
indeed,  was  the  opinion  he  had  of  your  character  and  at- 
tachment to  him,  that  he  told  Mr.  Wilson  in  conversation, 
his  greatest  hopes  of  assistance  in  suppressing  the  mutiny 
were  from  his  dependence  on  your  forming  a  party  in  his 
favor ;  and  here  I  must  observe,  that  his  confidence  in  his 
other  officers  must  have  been  very  small  when  (without 
making  any  effort  himself,  except  by  words,  even  when  he 
was  in  the  boat  and  his  hands  at  liberty)  he  depended 
on  a  boy  of  seventeen  to  be  his  defender.  His  cruelty  in 
loading  you  with  so  opprobrious  an  epithet  is  therefore 
the  more  unpardonable,  and  will,  so  far  from  injuring  you, 
my  dearest  Peter,  recoil  upon  himself;  and  if  he  has  any 
feeling,  it  must  distress  him  much." 

Peter  Heywood  to  Mrs.  Heywood. 

"Hector,  August  9th,  1792. 
"  My  dearest  Mother,  —  I  have  just  received  yours 
of  the  31st,  and  yesterday  the  parcel,  for  the  contents  of 
which  accept  my  best  thanks. 


THE  HEY  WO  01)  CORRESPONDENCE.  113 

"  I  hear  the  fleet  is  now  on  its  passage  from  Torbay,  so 
that  the  time  appointed  for  the  trial  will  not,  I  hope,  be 
much  longer  protracted.  I  have,  by  Mrs.  Bertie's  direc- 
tion, ordered  a  suit  of  uniform  for  that  occasion,  which  I 
shall  wear  with  a  crape  round  my  arm,  as  a  respect  due  to 
the  memory  of  the  best  of  parents,*  whose  death  I  have 
lamented  with  the  most  poignant  grief,  and  whose  loss  I 
shall  ever  remember  with  the  truest  sentiments  of  duty 
and  filial  affection. 

"  Oh  !  my  dearest  mother,  with  what  pleasure  did  I  yes- 
terday peruse  the  poetryf  written  by  my  dear  Nessy,  dic- 
tated by  a  heart  so  generous  and  sympathetic. 

"  I  have  little  more  to  add,  than  to  entreat  you  to  main- 

*  His  father,  whose  death  has  been  mentioned. 

t  On  the  tedious  and  mournful  absence  of  a  most  beloved  brother  who 
was  in  the  Bounty  with  Captain  Bligh  at  the  time  of  the  fatal  mutiny, 
which  happened  April  28th,  1789,  in  the  South  Seas,  and  who,  instead  of 
returning  with  the  boat  when  she  left  the  ship,  remained  behind. 

"  Tell  me,  thou  busy  fluttering  tell-tale,  why, 
Why  flow  these  tears,  why  heaves  this  deep-felt  sigh? 
Why  is  all  joy  from  my  sad  bosom  flown  ? 
Why  lost  that  cheerfulness  I  thought  my  own? 
When  every  hour  in  joy  and  gladness  passed, 
And  each  new  day  shone  brighter  than  the  last; 
When  in  society  I  loved  to  join, 
When  to  enjoy,  and  give  delight  was  mine. 
Now,  sad  reverse !  in  sorrow  wakes  each  day, 
And  griefs  sad  tones  inspire  each  plaintive  lay. 
Thou  best  of  brothers— friend,  companion,  guide, 
Joy  of  my  youth,  my  honor,  and  my  pride  ; 
Lost  is  all  peace,  all  happiness  to  me, 
And  fled  all  comfort,  since  deprived  of  thee. 
Indulgent  Heaven !  in  pity  to  our  tears, 
Vouchsafe  to  bless  a  parent's  sinking  years. 
Again  shall  I  behold  thy  much-loved  face,   , 
By  manhood  formed  with  every  ripen'd  grace ; 
Again  shall  press  thee  to  my  anxious  breast, 
And  every  sorrow  shall  be  hush'd  to  rest. 
Thy  presence  only  can  each  comfort  give, 
Come  then,  my  Lycidas,  and  let  me  live: 
Life  without  thee  is  but  a  wretched  load, 
Thy  love  alone  can  smooth  the  thorny  road. 
But,  blest  with  thee,  how  light  were  every  woe, 
How  would  my  soul  with  love  and  rapture  glow! 
Kind  Heaven !  Thou  hast  one  happiness  in  store, 
Bestow  him  innocent— I  ask  no  more." 


114  THE  MUTINEEBS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

tain  serenity  of  mind  by  the  assurance  that  I  am  as  con- 
tent as  can  be  expected,  and  am  ever  my  dearest  mother's 
most  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

"  Peter  Heywood." 

Peter  Heywood  to  Nessy  Heywood. 

"  Hector,  August  9th,  1792. 

"  My  dearest  Nessy,  —  I  have  sent  you  some  of  the 
sublime.  Don't  exert  your  risible  faculties  at  my  ex- 
pense ;  'tis  but  an  endeavor  at  an  art  I  have  scarcely  any 
notion  of,  and  upon  a  subject  I  could  not  describe  as  it  de- 
served. It  happened  (which  is  rather  remarkable)  on  that 
unfortunate  day  which  deprived  us  of  our  most  regretted 
parent.  The  dream*  which  occasioned  this  poetical  attempt 
I  shall  never  forget ;  so  powerful  was  its  effect  upon  my 
mind.  I  owe  to  it  all  my  present  serenity,  and  it  was  this 
alone  which  enabled  me  to  support  the  many  troubles  I 
have  had  to  encounter.  I  hammered  at  it  while  at  Tahiti, 
and  after  writing  it  I  learnt  it  by  heart,  and  now  you  have 
it  from  recollection. 

"Adieu  !  my  dear  girl.  I  hope  you  keep  up  my  moth- 
er's spirits,  for  I  know  you  are  well  qualified  to  do  so. 
My  tenderest  love  and  duty  to  her,  and  my  beloved  broth- 
ers and  sisters.     Your  faithfully  affectionate  brother,. 

"  Peter  Heywood." 

Peter  Heywood  to  Mrs.  Heywood. 

"  Hector,  August  15th,  1792. 
" .  .  .  .  The  question,  my  dear  mother,  in  one  of  your 
letters,  concerning  my  swimming  off  to  the  Pandora,  is 
one  falsity  among  the  too  many  of  which  I  have  often 
thought  of  undeceiving  you,  and  as  frequently  forgot. 
The  story  was  this :  On  the  morning  she  arrived,  I  (ac- 
companied by  two  of  my  friends,  natives)  was  going  up  to 
the  mountains,  when,  having  got  about  a  hundred  yards 

*  This  letter  contained  a  poetical  version  of  the  dream  which  is  related 
in  chap.  v. ,  p.  77, 


THE  HEYWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE.  115 

from  my  own  house,  another  of  my  friends  (for  I  was,  I 
may  say,  a  great  favorite  amongst  those  Tahitians,  and 
perfectly  conversant  with  their  language)  came  running 
after  me,  and  informed  me  that  there  was  a  ship  coming. 
I  immediately  went  up  on  a  rising  ground  and  saw  with 
the  utmost  joy  a  ship  coming  into  the  bay  off  Hapiano  (a 
district  two  or  three  miles  to  windward  of  Maatavaye, 
where  I  lived).  It  was  just  after  daylight,  and  thinking 
Coleman  might  not  be  awake,  and  therefore  be  ignorant 
of  such  pleasing  news  (living  a  mile  and  a  half  from  me), 
and  wishing  to  give  any  one  such  satisfaction  as  that,  I 
sent  one  of  my  servants  to  inform  him  of  it,  upon  which 
he  immediately  went  off  in  a  single  canoe.  There  was  a 
fresh  breeze,  and  the  ship  working  into  the  bay,  he  no 
sooner  got  alongside  than  the  rippling  capsized  the  canoe; 
and  he  being  obliged  to  let  go  the  tow-rope  to  get  her 
righted,  went  astern,  and  was  picked  up  in  the  canoe  next 
tack,  and  taken  on  board  the  Pandora,  he  being  the  first 
person.  I,  along  with  Stewart,  was  then  standing  upon 
the  beach,  with  a  double  canoe,  manned  with  twelve  pad- 
dles, ready  for  launching;  therefore,  just  as  she  made  her 
last  tack  into  her  berth  (for  we  did  not  think  it  requi- 
site to  go  off  sooner),  we  put  off,  and  got  alongside  just  as 
they  streamed  the  buoy ;  and  being  dressed  in  the  country 
manner,  tanned  as  brown  as  the  natives,  and  tattooed  like 
them  in  the  most  curious  manner,  I  do  not  in  the  least 
wonder  at  their  taking  us  for  natives.  I  was  tattooed,  not 
to  gratify  my  own  desire,  but  theirs ;  for  it  was  my  con- 
stant endeavor  to  acquiesce  in  any  little  custom  which  I 
thought  would  be  agreeable  to  them  (though  painful  in 
the  process),  provided  I  gained  by  it  their  friendship  and 
esteem,  which  you  may  suppose  is  no  inconsiderable  ob- 
ject in  an  island  where  the  natives  are  so  numerous.  The 
more  a  man  or  woman  there  is  tattooed,  the  more  they  are 
respected ;  and  a  person  who  has  none  of  these  marks  is 
looked  upon  as  bearing  a  most  repulsive  badge  of  dis- 
grace, and  considered  as  a  mere  outcast  from  society. 
You  may  suppose,  then,  that  my  disposition  would  not 


116  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

suffer  me  to  be  long  out  of  fashion.  I  always  made  it  a 
maxim, "  when  I  was  in  Rome,  to  act  as  Rome  did,"  pro- 
vided it  did  not  interfere  with  my  morals  or  religion ;  and 
by  this  means  I  was  a  great  favorite  on  shore,  and  treated 
with  respect  by  every  person  on  the  island,  in  whose 
mouths  my  name  ever  was  an  object  of  their  love  and  es- 
teem. Perhaps  you  may  think  I  flatter  myself,*  but  I 
really  do  not.  Adieu !  my  dearest  mother.  Believe  me 
your  truly  dutiful  and  most  obedient  son, 

"P.  Heywood." 

Colonel  Holwell  to  Peter  Heywood. 

"South  Bro,  Sept.  12th,  1792. 

"  Your  last  informs  me,  my  dear  Peter,  that  this  is  to  be 
the  awful  day  which  we  have  no  doubt  will  restore  you 
innocent  to  society,  and  to  the  arms  of  your  disconsolate 
relations  and  friends.  Nevertheless,  your  aunt,  as  well  as 
myself,  can  not  help  feeling  somewhat  triste  on  the  ap- 
proach of  this  interesting  day,  not  a  moment  of  which 
shall  we  cease  to  implore  that  Power  who  has  so  miracu- 
lously preserved  you  hitherto,  to  continue  His  goodness, 
and  support  you  through  the  hour  of  trial.  When  you  are 
at  liberty,  I  hope  you  will  let  us  embrace  you  in  your  way 
to  the  island.  Had  my  health  permitted,  I  should  surely 
have  been  now  with  you,  and  would  have  brought  you  to 
our  little  cottage.  When  you  have  made  up  your  mind, 
your  road  lies  in  this  direction. 

"Adieu,  my  dear  nephew,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  you  soon 
well  and  acquitted.  I  remain,  with  .our  united  loves,  your 
affectionate  uncle  and  sincere  friend, 

"J.  Holwell." 

*  That  he  did  not  natter  himself,  Captain  Bligh's  second  voyage  to  Ta- 
hiti proves,  from  the  many  inquiries  the  natives  made  about  him  of  the 
ship's  company,  and  the  great  esteem  and  respect  they  professed  for  his 
character,  young  as  he  then  waa, 


THE  COURT-MARTIAL.  __  117  ^ 


brmry 


CHAPTER  VII. 


Court-martial. — Correspondence  of  Members  of  Peter  Hey  wood's  Family. 
— Acquittal  of  some  of  the  Crew. — Pardon  of  Peter  Hey  wood  and 
James  Morrison. — Execution  of  two  Prisoners. — Subsequent  Career  of 
Captain  Bligh  and  other  Officers  of  the  Bounty. — Death  of  Miss  Nessy 
Heywood. 

The  court-martial  assembled  on  board  H.M.  ship  Duke, 
under  the  presidency  of  Vice-admiral  Lord  Hood,  and  con- 
tinued from  the  12th  to  the  18th  September,  Sunday  ex- 
cepted. 

The  charges  set  forth  were  that  Fletcher  Christian,  who 
was  mate  of  the  Bounty,  assisted  by  others  of  the  inferior 
officers  and  crew,  armed  with  muskets  and  bayonets,  had 
violently  and  forcibly  taken  that  ship  from  Lieutenant 
Bligh,  and  that  he,  together  with  the  master,  boatswain, 
gunner,  and  other  persons  (being  nineteen  in  number), 
were  forced  into  the  launch  and  cast  adrift.  It  was  fur- 
ther set  forth  that  Captain  Edwards,  in  the  Pandora,  was 
directed  to  proceed  to  Otaheite,  and  other  islands  in  the 
South  Seas,  and  to  use  his  best  endeavors  to  recover  the 
said  vessel,  and  to  bring  in  confinement  to  England  the 
said  Fletcher  Christian  and  his  associates,  or  as  many  of 
them  as  he  might  be  able  to  apprehend,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  brought  to  condign  punishment,  etc. ;  and  that 
Peter  Heywood,  James  Morrison,  Charles  Norman,  Joseph 
Coleman,  Thomas  Ellison,  Thomas  M'Intosh,  Thomas  Bir- 
kett,  John  Mill  ward,  William  Muspratt,  and  Michael  Byrne, 
had  been  brought  to  England,  etc.,  and  were  now  put  on 
their  trial. 


118  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Mr.  Fryer,  the  master  of  the  Bounty,  being  first  sworn, 
deposed : 

That  he  had  the  first  watch;  that  between  ten  and 
eleven  o'clock  Mr.  Bligh  came  on  deck,  according  to  cus- 
tom, and  after  a  short  conversation,  and  having  given  his 
orders  for  the  night,  left  the  deck ;  that  at  twelve  he  was 
relieved  by  the  gunner,  and  retired,  leaving  all  quiet ;  that 
at  dawn  of  day  he  was  greatly  alarmed  by  an  unusual 
noise ;  and  that  on  attempting  to  jump  up,  John  Sumner 
and  Matthew  Quintal  laid  their  hands  upon  his  breast  and 
desired  him  to  lie  still,  saying  he  was  their  prisoner ;  that 
on  expostulating  with  them  he  was  told,  "  Hold  your 
tongue,  or  you  are  a  dead  man,  but  if  you  remain  quiet 
there  is  none  on  board  will  hurt  a  hair  of  your  head." 
He  further  deposed,  that  on  raising  himself  on  the  locker, 
he  saw  Mr.  Bligh,  in  his  shirt,  going  on  deck  by  the  lad- 
der, with  his  hands  tied  behind  him,  and  Christian  holding 
him  by  the  cord  ;  that  the  master-at-arms,  Churchill,  then 
came  to  his  cabin  and  took  a  brace  of  pistols  and  a  hanger, 
saying,  "  I  will  take  care  of  these,  Mr.  Fryer ;"  that  he 
asked,  on  seeing  Mr.  Bligh  bound,  what  they  were  going 
to  do  with  the  captain :  that  Sumner  replied,  "  Put  him 
into  the  boat,  and  let  him  see  if  he  can  live  on  three-fourths 
of  a  pound  of  yams  a  day;"  that  he  remonstrated  with 
such  conduct,  but  in  vain.  They  said  he  must  go  in  the 
small  cutter.  "  The  small  cutter  !"  Mr.  Fryer  exclaimed ; 
"  why,  her  bottom  is  almost  out,  and  very  much  eaten  by 
the  worms  !"  to  which  Sumner  and  Quintal  both  said, 
"  The  boat  is  too  good  for  him."  After  much  entreaty,  he 
prevailed  on  them  to  ask  Christian  if  he  might  be  allowed 
to  go  on  deck,  which,  after  some  hesitation,  was  granted. 
"  When  I  came  on  deck,"  says  Mr.  Fryer, "  Mr.  Bligh  was 
standing  by  the  mizzen-mast  with  his  hands  tied  behind 
him,  and  Christian  holding  the  cord  in  one  hand  and  a 


THE  COURT-MARTIAL.  119 

bayonet  in  the  other.  I  said,  '  Christian,  consider  what 
you  are  about.'  \  Hold  your  tongue,  sir,'  he  said  ;  '  I  have 
been  in  hell  for  weeks  past ;  Captain  Bligh  has  brought 
all  this  on  himself.'  I  told  him  that  Mr.  Bligh  and  he  not 
agreeing  was  no  reason  for  taking  the  ship.  '  Hold  your 
tongue,  sir,'  he  said.  I  said,  '  Mr.  Christian,  you  and  I 
have  been  on  friendly  terms  during  the  voyage,  therefore 
give  me  leave  to  speak.  Let  Mr.  Bligh  go  down  to  his 
cabin,  and  I  make  no  doubt  we  shall  all  be  friends  again.' 
He  then  repeated,  *  Hold  your  tongue,  sir ;  it  is  too  late,' 
threatening  me  if  I  said  any  thing  more."  Mr.  Fryer  then 
asked  him  to  give  a  better  boat  than  the  cutter ;  he  said, 
"  No,  that  boat  is  good  enough."  Bligh  now  said  to  the 
master  that  the  man  behind  the  hen-coops  (Isaac  Martin) 
was  his  friend,  and  desired  him  (the  master)  to  knock 
Christian  down,  which  Christian  must  have  heard,  but 
took  no  notice ;  Fryer  then  attempted  to  get  past  Chris- 
tian to  speak  to  Martin,  but  he  put  his  bayonet  to  his 
breast,  saying,  "  Sir,  if  you  advance  an  inch  farther  I  will 
run  you  through,"  and  ordered  two  armed  men  to  take 
him  down  to  his  cabin.  Shortly  afterwards  he  was  desired 
to  go  on  deck,  when  Christian  ordered  him  into  the  boat. 
He  said,  "  I  will  stay  if  you  will  give  me  leave."  "  No, 
sir,"  he  replied ;  "  go  directly  into  the  boat."  Bligh,  then 
on  the  gangway,  said,  "Mr.  Fryer,  stay  in  the  ship." 
"  No,"  Christian  said, "  go  into  the  boat,  or  I  will  run  you 
through." 

Fryer  stated  that  during  this  time  very  opprobrious 
language  was  used  by  the  people  towards  Mr.  Bligh ;  that 
with  great  difficulty  they  prevailed  on  Christian  to  suffer 
a  few  articles  to  be  put  into  the  boat ;  that,  after  the  per- 
sons were  put  into  the  boat  to  the  number  of  nineteen, 
much  violent  language  continued  to  be  used,  several  of  the 
men  calling  out, "  Shoot  him  !"  that  Cole,  the  boatswain, 


120  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

advised  they  should  cast  off  and  take  their  chance,  as  the 
mutineers  would  certainly  do  them  some  mischief  if  they 
remained  much  longer. 

Mr.  Fryer  then  stated  the  names  of  those  who  were  un- 
der arms ;  and  that  Joseph  Coleman,  Thomas  M'Intosh, 
Charles  Norman,  and  Michael  Byrne  (prisoners)  wished  to 
come  into  the  boat,  declaring  they  had  nothing  to  do  in 
the  business ;  and  that  he  did  not  perceive  Mr.  Peter  Hey- 
wood  on  deck  at  the  seizure  of  the  ship. 

On  being  asked  to  what  he  supposed  Christian  alluded 
when  he  said  "  he  had  been  in  hell  for  a  fortnight,"  he  re- 
plied, "  To  the  frequent  quarrels  they  had,  and  the  abuse 
he  received  from  Mr.  Bligh,  and  that  the  day  before  the 
mutiny  Mr.  Bligh  had  challenged  all"  the  young  gentlemen 
and  people  with  stealing  his  cocoa-nuts." 

Mr.  Cole,  the  boatswain,  deposes — that  he  had  the  mid- 
dle watch  ;  was  awakened  out'  of  his  sleep  in  the  morning, 
and  heard  a  man  calling  out  to  the  carpenter  that  they 
had  mutinied  and  taken  the  ship,  that  Christian  had  the 
command,  and  the  captain  was  a  prisoner  on  the  quarter- 
deck ;  that  he  went  up  the  hatchway,  having  seen  Mr. 
Heywood  and  Mr.  Young  in  the  opposite  berth ;  that, 
coming  on  deck,  he  saw  the  captain  with  his  hands  tied 
behind  him,  and  four  sentinels  standing  over  him,  two  of 
whom  were  Ellison  and  Birkett,  the  prisoners.  He  asked 
Mr.  Christian  what  he  meant  to  do,  and  was  answered  by 
his  ordering  him  to  hoist  the  boat  out ;  that  he  saw  Peter 
Heywood,  one  of  the  prisoners,  lending  a  hand  to  get  the 
fore-stay  fall  along,  and,  when  the  boat  was  hooked  on, 
spoke  something  to  him,  but  what  it  was  does  not  know, 
as  Christian  was  threatening  him  at  the  time ;  that  Hey- 
wood then  went  below,  and  does  not  remember  seeing  him 
afterwards. 

The  Court  asked  if  he  had  any  reason  to  believe  that 


THE  COURT-MARTIAL.  121 

any  other  of  the  prisoners  than  those  named  were  detain- 
ed contrary  to  their  inclinations. 

Answer. — "  I  believe  Mr.  Heywood  was.  I  thought  all 
along  he  was  intending  to  come  away ;  he  had  no  arms, 
and  he  assisted  to  get  the  boat  out,  and  then  went  below. 
I  heard  Churchill  call  out, '  Keep  them  below.' " 

The  Court. — "  Do  you  think  he  meant  Heywood  ?" 

"  I  have  no  reason  to  think  any  other." 

Mr.  Peckover  the  gunner's  evidence  is  similar  to  that  of 
Mr.  Cole's,  and  need  not  be  detailed. 

Mr.  Purcell,  the  carpenter,  corroborated  generally  the 
testimony  of  the  three  who  had  been  examined. 

The  Court. — "In  what  light  did  you  look  upon  Mr. 
Heywood  ?" 

Witness. — "I  looked  upon  him  as  a  person  confused, 
and  that  he  went  below  as  on  his  own  account,  in  order  to 
collect  some  of  his  things  to  go  in  the  boat." 

The  Court. — "  In  the  time  that  Mr.  Heywood  was  assist- 
ing you  in  getting  things  into  the  boat,  did  he  in  any  de- 
gree whatever  manifest  a  disposition  to  assist  in  the  mu- 
tiny ?" 

Witness.—"  No." 

The  Court. — "  Was  he  during  that  time  deliberate  or 
frightened,  and  in  what  manner  did  he  behave  himself?" 

Witness. — "  I  had  not  an  opportunity  of  observing  his 
every  action,  being  at  that  time  engaged  in  getting  sev- 
eral things  into  the  boat,  so  that  I  can  not  tell." 

The  Court. — "  Putting  every  circumstance  together,  de- 
clare to  this  court,  upon  the  oath  you  have  taken,  how 
you  considered  his  behavior ;  whether  as  a  person  joined 
in  the  mutiny,  or  as  a  person  wishing  well  to  Captain 
Bligh?" 

Witness. — "  I  by  no  means  considered  him  a  person  con- 
cerned in  the  mutiny  or  conspiracy." 

6 


122  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Lieutenant  Thomas  Hayward,  late  third  lieutenant  of 
the  Bounty,  deposed  that  he  had  the  morning  watch  ;  and 
at  four  o'clock  Fletcher  Christian  relieved  the  watch  as 
usual;  that  .at  five  o'clock  he  ordered  him  (as  master's 
mate  of  the  watch)  to  look  out  while  he  went  down  to  lash 
his  hammock  up,  and  that  he  speedily  returned,  accompa- 
nied by  a  number  of  armed  men.  Christian,  with  his  party, 
then  went  below  to  Lieutenant  Bligh's  cabin,  and  they  had 
not  been  down  long  before  he  heard  the  cry  of  "  Murder !" 
and  that  soon  after  Lieutenant  Bligh  was  brought  upon 
the  quarter-deck  with  his  hands  bound  behind  him,  sur- 
rounded by  a  crowd  of  armed  men  who  then  thronged 
the  deck. 

On  this  witness  stating  that  when  he  went  below  to  col- 
lect some  clothes,  he  saw  Peter  Hey  wood  in  his  berth,  and 
told  him  to  go  into  the  boat,  he  was  asked  by  the  Court 
if  Hey  wood  was  prevented  by  any  force  from  going  upon 
deck  :  he  answered, "  No." 

The  Court. — "  Did  you,  from  his  behavior,  consider  him 
as  a  person  attached  to  his  duty,  or  to  the  party  of  the 
mutineers  ?" 

Witness. — "I  should  rather  suppose,  after  my  having 
told  him  to  go  into  the  boat,  and  he  not  joining  us,  to  be 
on  the  side  of  the  mutineers ;  but  that  must  be  understood 
only  as  an  opinion,  as  he  did  not  in  the  least  take  an  act- 
ive part." 

The  Court. — "  Did  you  observe  any  marks  of  joy  or  sor- 
row in  his  countenance  or  behavior  ?" 

Witness. — "  Sorrow." 

Lieutenant  Hallett,  late  midshipman  of  the  Bounty,  on 
being  asked  "  Whether  he  saw  Peter  Heywood  on  the  day 
of  the  mutiny  ?"  said,  "  He  saw  him  once  on  the  platform, 
standing  still  and  looking  attentively  towards  Captain 
Bligh  ;  never  saw  him  under  arms,  nor  spoke  to  him ;  does 


THE  COURT-MARTIAL.  123 

not  know  if  he  offered  to  go  in  the  boat;  that,  when  stand- 
ing on  the  platform,  Captain  Bligh  said  something  to  him, 
but  what  he  did  not  hear,  on  which  Heywood  laughed,* 
turned  round  and  walked  away." 

Captain  Edwards  stated  in  evidence,  that  Stewart,  Hey- 
wood, Coleman,  Morrison,  Norman,  and  M'Intosh,  volunta- 
rily surrendered  themselves  on  the  arrival  of  the  Pandora 
at  Tahiti. 

The  prisoners  being  called  on  for  their  defense,  the  wit- 
nesses were  again  called  and  examined  on  the  part  of  the 
prisoners. 

Mr.  Fryer,  the  master,  called  in  and  examined  by 

Mr.  Heywood. — "  If  you  had  been  permitted,  would 
you  have  staid  in  the  ship  in  preference  to  going  in  the 
boat?" 

Witness. — "  Yes." 

Prisoner. — "Had  you  staid  in  the  ship  in  expectation 
of  retaking  her,  was  my  conduct  such  (from  the  first  mo- 
ment you  knew  me  to  this),  as  would  have  induced  you  to 
intrust  me  with  your  design ;  and  do  you  believe  I  would 
have  favored  it,  and  given  you  all  the  assistance  in  my 
power?" 

Witness. — "  I  believe  he  wTould  ;  I  should  not  have  hesi- 
tated a  moment  in  asking  him,  when  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  opening  my  mind  to  him." 

The  same  question  being  put  to  Mr.  Cole,  the  boatswain, 
Mr.  Peckover,  the  gunner,  and  Mr.  Purcell,  carpenter,  they 
all  answered  in  the  affirmative. 


*  Lieutenant  Bligh's  language  on  this  occasion  was  sufficient  to  have 
raised  a  smile.  He  told  Fryer,  the  master,  to  knock  Christian  down,  who 
was  armed  with  a  pistol  and  bayonet.  He  also  said  that  Heywood  (a  boy 
of  seventeen)  ought  to  have  raised  a  party  in  his  favor.  Hallett,  however 
(as  will  afterwards  appear),  retracted  on  his  death-bed  his  unfavorable  evi- 
dence against  Heywood.  I 


124  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Mr.  Heywood  asked,  "  What  was  my  general  conduct, 
temper, and  disposition,  on  board  the  ship?". 

Witness. — "  Beloved  by  every  body,  to  the  best  of  my 
recollection."  To  the  same  question  Mr.  Cole  answered, 
"Always  a  very  good  character." 

Mr.  Peckover. — "  The  most  amiable,  and  deserving  of 
every  one's  esteem." 

Mr.  Purcell. — "  In  every  respect  becoming  the  character 
of  a  gentleman,  and  such  as  merited  the  esteem  of  every 
body." 

Mr.  Cole  being  examined,  gave  his  testimony. — "  That  he 
never  saw  Mr.  Heywood  armed ;  he  did  not  consider  him 
of  the  mutineers'  party ;  and  saw  nothing  of  levity  or  ap- 
parent merriment  in  his  conduct.  That  when  he  was  be- 
low with  Stewart,  he  heard  Churchill  call  out, '  Keep  them 
below,'  and  believes  that  Heywood  was  one  of  the  persons 
meant— has  no  doubt  of  it  at  all.  That  Bligh  could  not 
have  spoken  to  him  when  on  the  booms  loud  enough  to  be 
heard ;  that  Heywood  was  alarmed,  also  Hallett ;  and  he 
by  no  means  considered  Heywood  or  Morrison  mutineers." 

Captain  Edwards,  being  asked  by  Heywood. — "Did  I 
surrender  myself  to  you  upon  the  arrival  of  the  Pandora 
at  Tahiti  ?" 

Witness. — "  Not  to  me,  to  the  lieutenant ;  I  apprehend 
he  put  himself  in  my  power.  I  always  understood  he 
came  voluntarily;  our  boats  were  not  in  the  water." 

Prisoner. — "  Did  I  give  you  such  information  respecting 
myself  and  the  Bounty,  as  afterwards  proved  true  ?" 

Witness. — "He  gave  me  some  information  respecting 
the  people  on  the  island  that  corroborated  Coleman's.  I 
do  not  recollect  the  particular  conversation,  but  in  general 
it  agreed  with  the  account  given  by  Coleman." 

Prisoner. — "  When  I  told  you  that  I  went  away  the 
first  time  from  Tahiti  with  the  mutineers,  did  I  not,  at  the 


THE  COURT-MARTIAL.  125 

same  time,  inform  you  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to 
separate  myself  from  Christian,  who  would  not  permit 
any  of  the  party  to  leave  him  at  that  time,  lest,  by  giving 
intelligence,  they  might  have  been  discovered  whenever  a 
ship  should  arrive?" 

Witness. — "  Yes,  but  I  do  not  recollect  the  latter  part 
of  it  respecting  giving  intelligence." 

Mr.  Fryer,  again  called  in  and  examined  by  James  Mor- 
rison.— "  He  did  not  see  Morrison  armed ;  he  was  in  his 
watch,  and  he  considered  him  a  steady,  sober,  attentive 
man.  He  acknowledged  that  if  he  had  remained  in  the 
ship  with  the  view  of  retaking  her,  Morrison  would  have 
been  one  of  the  first  he  should  have  called  to  his  assist- 
ance." 

Mr.  Cole  gave  testimony  to  his  being  a  man  of  good 
character,  attentive  to  his  duty,  and  he  never  knew  any 
harm  of  him. 

Mr.  Purcell  bore  witness  to  his  good  character,  being 
always  diligent  and  attentive ;  did  not  see  him  under 
arms  on  the  taffrail ;  never  heard  him  make  use  of  any 
unbecoming  language. 

Respecting  the  prisoner  Muspratt,  Mr.  Cole's  evidence 
proved  that  he  had  a  musket  in  his  hands,  but  not  till  the 
latter  part  of  the  business.  It  is  also  proved  that  he  as- 
sisted in  getting  things  into  the  launch.  Mr.  Peckover 
saw  him  standing  on  the  forecastle  doing  nothing ;  he  was 
not  armed. 

Mr.  Cole,  the  boatswain,  stated  that  he  ordered  Morri- 
son to  go  and  help  them  with  the  cutter ;  that  he  told 
them  the  boat  was  overloaded ;  that  Captain  Bligh  had 
begged  that  no  more  people  should  go  in  her;  that  he 
shook  Morrison  by  the  hand  and  said  he  would  do  him 
justice  in  England,  as  he  had  no  reason  to  suppose  him 
concerned  in  the  mutiny. 


126  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Peter  Heywood  being  then  called  upon  by  the  Court, 
made  his  defense,  in  which  he  stated  generally,  that  he 
had  never  imagined  that  by  remaining  in  the  ship  he 
would  lay  himself  open  to  a  charge  of  complicity  in  the 
mutiny,  which  from  first  to  last  he  condemned.  Lieuten- 
ant Bligh  had  always  treated  him  with  kindness ;  but  it 
was  quite  out  of  the  power  of  a  young  boy,  surrounded 
by  armed  men,  to  make  any  diversion  in  his  favor,  and  he 
could  hardly  have  been  blamed  had  he  hesitated  about 
entering  a  boat  which  was  already  within  eight  inches  of 
the  water's  edge,  and  bound  on  a  perilous  voyage  among 
islands  inhabited  by  ferocious  savages.  He  had  neverthe- 
less determined  to  risk  his  life  with  those  who  accompa- 
nied his  commander,  and  had  gone  below  with  Stewart  to 
collect  some  little  necessaries,  but  was  prevented  by  some 
of  the  crew  from  returning  on  deck.*  He  thought  Hay- 
ward  and  Hallett  had  been  mistaken  in  some  of  the  facts, 
which  was  very  possible,  as  they  were  much  confused  at 
the  time,  and  nearly  four  years  had  since  elapsed.  No 
doubt,  also,  the  hardships  to  which  they  were  exposed  in 
the  boat-voyage  tended  naturally  to  imbitter  their  feel- 
ings against  those  who  remained  behind.  He  finally  ob- 
served that  he  had  taken  the  earliest  opportunity  of  sur- 
rendering himself  on  the  arrival  of  the  Pandora,  and  al- 
luded to  the  sufferings  he  had  endured  on  the  home  voy- 
age, attributing  them,  however,  not  so  much  to  any  ani- 
mosity on  the  part  of  Captain  Edwards  as  to  the  impera- 
tive exigencies  of  the  service. 

James  Morrison's  defense  was  very  similar  to  that  of 
Heywood,  except  that  he  stated  he   had   agreed  to  join 

*  Stewart  and  Peter  Heywood  were  kept  below  by  the  mutineers  (which 
has  been  mentioned  in  a  former  chapter),  who  thought  that  if  they  left 
there  would  be  no  one  capable  of  navigating  the  ship  in  the  event  of  any 
thing  happening  to  Christian. 


THE  COURT-MARTIAL:— THE   VERDICT.  127 

with  Mr.  Fryer  and  Mill  ward  in  an  attempt  to  retake  the 
ship  from  the  mutineers,  but  that  they  were  detected  and 
prevented  by  Churchill  and  Alexander  Smith  (John  Ad- 
ams). "  Mr.  Hay  ward,"  he  added,  "  dropped  a  hint  to 
me  that  he  intended  to  knock  Churchill  down.  I  told 
him  I  would  second  him,  pointing  to  some  of  the  Friendly 
Island  clubs  which  were  sticking  in  the  booms,  and  say- 
ing 'There  were  tools  enough,'  but  I  was  suddenly  check- 
ed by  finding  that  he  went  into  the  boat  without  making 
the  attempt  he  proposed." 

On  the  18th  of  September  the  trial  was  concluded,  and 
the  Court  agreed  that  the  charges  had  been  proved 
against  Peter  Hey  wood,  James  Morrison,  Thomas  Ellison, 
John  Millward,  Thomas  Birkett,  and  William  Muspratt ; 
but  the  two  first  were  strongly  recommended  to  mercy, 
as,  if  not  opposing  the  mutiny,  it  was  clear  that  they  were 
not  actively  concerned.  Joseph  Coleman,  M'Intosh,  and 
Byrne  were  acquitted,  as  they  had  the  means  of  proving 
that  they  were  detained  on  board  against  their  will. 

The  following  letter  was  addressed  to  Dr.  Scott  of  the 
Isle  of  Man,  the  esteemed  friend  of  Mrs.  Hey  wood  and  her 
family.  It  was  written  by  Peter  Hey  wood,  after  hearing 
the  sentence  passed  by  the  court-martial. 

Peter  Heywood  to  Doctor  Scott. 

"Hector,  September  20th,  1792. 

"Honored  and  dear  Sir, — On  Wednesday  the  10th 
the  awful  trial  commenced,  on  that  day  when,  in  court,  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  your  most  kind  and  parent- 
al letter,  in  answer  to  which  I  now  communicate  to  you 
the  melancholy  issue  of  it,  which  I  desired  my  friend  Mr. 
Graham  to  inform  you  of  immediately. 

"  I  have  not  been  found  guilty  of  the  slightest  act  of 
the  detestable  crime  of  mutiny,  and  am  doomed  for  not 
being  active  in  my  endeavors  to  suppress  it.     Could  the 


128  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

evidences  who  appeared  on  the  court-martial  be  tried,  they 
would  also  suffer  for  the  same  and  only  crime  of  which  I 
have  been  guilty.  My  inexperience,  and  no  depravity  of 
will,  is  the  sole  cause  to  which  I  can  attribute  my  misfor- 
tunes. Although  the  very  strong  recommendation  I  had 
to  His  Majesty's  mercy,  by  all  the  members  of  the  Court, 
may  meet  with  his  approbation,  yet  that  is  but  the  bal- 
ance of  a  straw,  a  mere  uncertainty,  upon  which  no  hopes 
can  be  built ;  the  other  is  a  certainty  that  must  one  day 
happen  to  every  mortal ;  therefore  my  time  and  thoughts 
must  be  devoted  to  my  eternal  salvation. 

"As  this  is  too  tender  a  subject  to  inform  my  unhappy 
mother  and  sisters  of,  you  will  either  show  them  this  let- 
ter or  make  known  to  them  the  truly  dreadful  intelligence 
in  such  a  manner  as  (assisted  by  your  wholesome  and  pa- 
ternal advice)  may  enable  them  to  bear  it  with  Christian 
fortitude.  The  only  worldly  feelings  I  am  now  possessed 
of  are  for  their  happiness  and  welfare ;  but  even  these,  in 
my  present  situation,  I  must  endeavor,  with  God's  assist- 
ance, to  eradicate  from  my  heart,  how  hard  soever  the 
task.  I  must  strive  against  cherishing  any  temporal  af- 
fections. But,  dear  sir,  endeavor  to  mitigate  my  dis- 
tressed mother's  sorrow  ;  give  my  everlasting  duty  to  her, 
and  unabated  love  to  my  disconsolate  brothers  and  sisters, 
and  all  my  other  relatives.  Encourage  them,  by  my  exam- 
ple, to  bear  up  with  fortitude  and  resignation  to  the  Divine 
will  under  their  load  of  misfortunes,  almost  too  great  for 
female  nature  to  support,  and  teach  them  to  be  fully  per- 
suaded that  all  hopes  of  happiness  on  earth  are  vain. 

"  On  my  own  account,  I  still  enjoy  the  utmost  serenity 
of  mind,  and  am,  dearest  sir,  forever  your  greatly  indebted 
and  most  dutiful,  but  ill-fated 

"Peter  Heywood." 

Peter  Heywood  to  Nessy  Heywood. 

"Hector,  September  22d,  1792. 
"Had  I  not  a  strong  idea  that  ere  this  mournful  epistle 
from  your  ill-fated  brother  can  reach  the  trembling  hand 


LETTER  FROM  PETER  HEY  WOOD.  129 

of  my  ever-dear  and  much  afflicted  sister  Nessy,  she  must 
have  been  informed  by  my  honored  friend  Dr.  Scott  of  the 
final  issue  of  my  trial  on  Wednesday  morning,  I  would  not 
now  add  trouble  to  the  afflicted  by  a  confirmation  of  it. 
Though  I  have  indeed  fallen  an  early  victim  to  the  rigid 
rules  of  the  service,  and  though  the  jaws  of  death  are  once 
more  opened  upon  me,  yet  do  I  not  now,  nor  ever  will,  bow 
to  the  tyranny  of  base-born  fear ;  and,  conscious  of  having 
done  my  duty,  I  feel  not  one  moment's  anxiety  on  my  own 
account,  but  cherish  a  full  and  sanguine  hope  that  perhaps 
a  few  days  more  will  free  me  from  the  load  of  misfortune 
which  has  ever  been  my  portion  in  this  transient  period 
of  existence,  and  that  I  shall  find  an  everlasting  asylum 
in  those  blessed  regions  of  eternal  bliss,  where  the  galling 
yoke  of  tyranny  and  oppression  is  felt  no  more,  through 
the  merits  and  intercession  of  our  blessed  Saviour.  If 
earthly  majesty  (to  whose  mercy  I  have  been  recommend- 
ed by  the  Court)  should  refuse  to  put  forth  its  lenient 
hand,  and  rescue  me  from  what  is  called  an  ignominious 
death,  there  is  a  heavenly  King  and  Redeemer  ready  to 
receive  the  righteous  penitent,  on  whose  gracious  mercy 
alone  I  (as  should  we  all)  depend,  with  that  pious  resigna- 
tion which  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian;  well  convinced 
that  without  his  express  permission  not  even  a  hair  of  our 
head  can  fall  to  the  ground. 

"  Oh,  my  sister  !  my  heart  yearns  when  I  picture  to  my- 
self the  indescribable  affliction  which  this  melancholy  news 
must  have  caused  in  the  mind  of  my  much-honored  moth- 
er. But  let  it  be  your  peculiar  endeavor  to  watch  over 
her  grief  and  mitigate  her  pain.  I  hope  this  little  advice 
from  me  will  be  unnecessary,  for  I  know  the  holy  precepts 
of  that  inspired  religion  which,  thank  Heaven,  hath  been 
implanted  in  the  bosoms  of  us  all,  will  point  out  to  you, 
and  all  my  dear  relatives,  that  fortitude  and  resignation 
which  is  required  of  us  in  the  conflicts  of  human  nature, 
and  prevent  you  from  arraigning  the  wisdom  of  that  Om- 
niscient Providence,  of  which  we  ought  all  to  have  the 
fullest  sense. 

6* 


130  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"  I  have  just  had  a  most  affecting  letter  from  my  uncle 
Holwell,  to  whom  I  communicated  what  had  happened 
during  the  former  part  of  this  week.  Mr.  Graham,  whose 
kind  friendship  to  me  has  been  unparalleled,  is  this  day- 
gone  up  to  town  to  my  uncle  Pasley,  whose  endeavors  to- 
wards my  enlargement  have  been  unremitting,  but  these 
I  can  not  trust  to.  I  have  now  more  serious  business  in 
hand — the  care  and  salvation  of  my  soul. 

"  I  have  had  all  my  dear  Nessy's  letters,  the  one  of  the 
17th  this  morning;  but,  alas!  what  do  they  now  avail? 
The  contents  of  them  only  serve  to  prove  the  instability 
of  all  human  hopes  and  expectations!  But,  my  sister,  I 
begin  to  feel  the  pangs  which  you  must  suffer  from  the 
perusal  of  this  melancholy  paper,  and  therefore  will  desist. 
I  know  it  is  more  than  your  nature  can  support.  The 
contrast  between  last  week's  correspondence  and  this  is 
great  indeed !  But  why  ?  we  had  only  hope  then,  and 
have  we  not  the  same  now  ?     Certainly  ! 

"  Endeavor  then,  my  love,  to  cherish  that  hope,  and  with 
faith  rely  upon  the  mercy  of  that  God  who  does  as  to  Him 
seems  best,  and  most  conducive  to  the  general  good  of  His 
creatures. 

"  Bear  it  then  with  Christian  patience,  and  instill  into 
the  minds  of  my  dear  and  now  sorrowful  sisters,  by  your 
advice,  the  same  disposition  ;  and,  for  Heaven's  sake,  let 
not  despair  touch  the  soul  of  my  dear  mother,  for  then  all 
would  be  over.  Let  James  also  employ  all  his  efforts  to 
cheer  her  spirits  under  her  weight  of  woe.  My  sincere 
love  wherever  due.  I  will  write  no  more.  I  feel  too 
much  my  sister's  state  of  mind. 

"Adieu  !  my  dearest  love ;  write  but  little  to  me,  and 
pray  for  your  affectionate  but  ill-fated  brother, 

"  Petee  Heywood. 

"  P.S. — I  am  in  perfect  spirits,  therefore  let  not  your 
sympathizing  feelings  for  my  sufferings  hurt  your  own  pre- 
cious health,  which  is  dearer  to  me  than  life  itself." 

In  accordance  with  Mr.  Peter  Heywood's  request,  Dr. 


LETTER  FROM  NESSY  HEY  WOOD.  131 

Scott  conveyed  the  information  of  the  painful  result  of  the 
court-martial  to  the  anxious  family,  and  their  state  of  mind 
may  well  be  imagined. 

On  Monday,  October  1  st,  while  seated  at  breakfast,  a 
messenger  came  to  inform  them  that  a  small  fishing-boat 
would  sail  for  Liverpool  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  and 
that  the  captain  would  take  charge  of  any  letters  or  par- 
cels they  might  wish  to  send.  Nessy  Heywood  accord- 
ingly wrote  the  following  letter  to  her  brother  James,  at 
that  time  in  Liverpool. 

Nessy  Heywood  to  James  Heywood. 

"Isle  of  Man,  October  1st,  1792. 

"  My  dearest  James, — There  is  a  vessel  going  to  Liver- 
pool this  instant,  and  I  have  but  a  moment  to  tell  you  that 
I  received  yours  on  Thursday  night,  till  when  we  had 
heard  nothing  but  by  report.  The  packet  is  not  yet  ar- 
rived, and  our  friends  will  not  let  me  go  from  hence  till 
she  brings  some  certain  news. 

"  We  are  in  an  agony  of  suspense,  and  I  can  hardly  sup- 
port my  own  misery,  much  less  keep  up  my  poor  mamma's 
dejected  spirits.  If  there  is  the  least  apprehension  enter- 
tained by  the  people  of  Liverpool  for  his  life,  or  if  you 
think  there  is  the  smallest  necessity  for  your  going  to 
Portsmouth,  go,  for  Heaven's  sake,  without  waiting  for  me. 
'Tis  true  your  being  there  can  do  him  no  essential  service, 
nor  will  his  friends  leave  any  thing  undone  for  him,  but  'tis 
natural  to  suppose  he  must  wish  to  see  some  of  his  unhap- 
py family.  It  is,  however,  some  comfort  that  I  am  able  to 
assure  you  that  every  person  here  to  whom  we  have  spoken 
on  the  subject  agrees  in  the  opinion  that  there  is  not  the 
smallest  danger,  that  his  being  found  guilty  is  not  because 
any  thing  has  been  proved  against  him  (for  had  that  been 
the  case,  it  would  have  been  morally  impossible  to  save 
him),  but  because  he,  poor  fellow,  was  not  able  to  bring 
evidence  sufficiently  strong  to  prove  his  innocence ;  that  a 
recommendation  from  a  court-martial  to  mercy  is  exactly 


132  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

the  same  as  an  acquittal  in  any  other  court ;  for  the  mar- 
tial law  is  so  strict  and  severe,  that  there  is  no  medium  be- 
tween absolute  acquittal  and  death;  that  there  is  no  in- 
stance in  which  a  pardon  upon  that  recommendation  has 
been  refused  by  the  Executive  Power,  which  is  the  only 
possible  way  of  mitigating  too  severe  a  law.  This  is  the 
only  opinion  here,  in  which  I  do  not  find  one  dissenting 
voice  except  our  own ;  but  we  have  hoped  too  long,  and 
have  too  much  at  stake  to  be  satisfied  with  conjectures 
however  well  founded  ;  nor  can  any  thing  but  a  certainty 
from  his  own  letters  still  our  apprehensions. 

"  This  is  a  calm  day,  and  I  hope  the  packet  will  at  length 
make  her  appearance.  If  she  brings  not  a  certainty  of  his 
safety  I  shall  set  off  for  Liverpool  immediately ;  but  if  you 
have  a  doubt  of  that,  I  again  repeat  it,  do  not  wait  for  me. 
I  can  go  alone ;  fear  and  even  despair  will  in  that  case  sup- 
port me  through  the  journey.  Yet,  if  I  could  listen  to  rea- 
son (which  is  at  present  indeed  difficult),  it  is  not  likely 
that  any  thing  serious  has  taken  place  or  will  do  so,  as  we 
should  then  certainly  have  had  an  express.  But,  my  dear 
James,  act  as  your  affection  and  judgment  shall  dictate, 
and  think  only  of  our  poor  unfortunate  and  adored  boy. 

"  Love  from  all.  Adieu !  bestow  not  one  thought  on 
me.  Take  care  of  our  dear  Henry ;  I  hope  he  will  not  sail 
until  we  are  free  from  this  dreadful  distress.  The  vessel 
waits.     My  dear  brother,  your  most  affectionate  sister, 

"  Nessy  Heywood." 

Nessy,  however,  crossed  in  the  same  boat  which  convey- 
ed this  letter,  for  Mrs.  Hey  wood's  distress  of  mind  render- 
ing her  almost  incapable  of  thinking,  her  friends  judged  it 
advisable  that  Nessy  should  not  lose  this  opportunity  of 
going  to  England.  Her  own  impatience,  also,  to  be  near 
her  beloved  and  unfortunate  brother  led  her  to  fly  to  him, 
notwithstanding  a  contrary  wind  and  bad  weather.  With 
hasty  preparation,  therefore,  she  was  placed  with  an  at- 
tendant on  board  the  rough  little  fishing-boat. 


LETTER  FROM  NESHY  HEYWOOD.  133 

Nessy  Heywood  to  Mrs.  Hey  wood  and  her  Friends. 

"Liverpool,  October  3d,  1792. 

"My  beloved  Friends, — We  did  not  arrive  here  till 
noon  this  day,  after  a  most  tempestuous  passage  of  forty- 
nine  hours,  with  the  wind  directly  contrary  the  whole 
way.  Yet  (notwithstanding  that  vexatious  circumstance, 
hard  boards — for  I  could  not  prevail  on  myself  to  enter 
one  of  their  dirty,  close  beds — and  aching  bones  in  conse- 
quence, together  with  passing  two  nights  almost  without 
closing  my  eyes)  let  me  be  but  blessed  with  the  cheering 
influence  of  hope,  and  I  have  spirit  to  undertake  any  thing. 
The  plaid  was  a  most  comfortable  thing  to  me.  I  wrapped 
it  round  my  head,  and  it  kept  out  a  compound  of  horrid 
odors,  with  which  I  should  otherwise  have  been  annoyed. 

"At  the  mouth  of  the  river  this  morning  we  met  a  small 
open  fishing-boat,  into  which  I  got  (as  I  was  told  I  should 
by  that  means  arrive  two  hours  sooner  than  I  could  other- 
wise have  done),  and  as  the  sea  was  very  high,  every  wave 
washed  over  me,  and  I  had  a  complete  wetting. 

"  On  my  arrival  I  found  poor  Henry  had  sailed  two 
days  ago.  I  sent  for  James,  who  is  still  here ;  he  was  pre- 
vented from  going  to  town  last  night  by  a  violent  cold, 
but  will  now  accompany  me.  I  dined  with  him  at  Mrs. 
Nicholson's,  who,  as  well  as  every  body  else,  seemed 
charmed  with  Henry.  My  poor  boy !  how  much  do  I  re- 
gret I  did  not  come  in  time  to  see  him ;  but  I  rejoice  to 
find  he  went  off  in  good  spirits,  and  his  last  words  men- 
tioned Peter.  I  have  been  myself  to  secure  a  place  in  the 
mail-coach,  and  hope  to  be  by  10  o'clock  to-night  on  my 
road  to  (may  I  not  hope  ?)  the  completion  of  all  my  world- 
ly happiness. 

"  Mr.  Southcote  (whom  I  passed  at  sea)  will  inform  you 
that  the  pardon  went  down  to  the  king  at  Weymouth 
some  days  ago.  May  we  not  encourage  a  hope  that  I 
shall  find  all  our  miseries  at  an  end  ?  Oh,  heavens  !  dare 
I  flatter  myself  it  is  so ;  and  shall  we  yet  be  happy  ?  The 
thought  is  ecstasy ! 


134  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"  I  am  just  going  to  write  to  the  worthy  Mr.  Graham ; 
you  know  I  told  you  I  should  do  so  at  sea,  but  I  might  as 
well  have  attempted  to  build  a  temple  there — such  toss- 
ing, tumbling,  and  odor — oh,  lack !  'twas  as  well  my  mind 
was  bent  on  something  else.  When  I  was  tempted  to  re- 
pine at  the  winds,  I  remembered  that  they  were  favorable 
for  Henry.  I  reflected  on  Peter's  sufferings,  and  was  con- 
tent. 

"Adieu !  my  dearest  mamma  and  sisters.  God  bless 
you  all ;  in  your  prayers  for  our  beloved  and  exemplary 
sufferer,  add  a  word  or  two  for  your  most  dutiful  and  af- 
fectionate Nessy  Heywood." 

Nessy  Heywood  to  Mrs.  Heywood. 

"London,  Great  Eussell  Street, 
"Noon,  October  5th,  1792. 

"My  dear  Mamma, — At  length  I  have  arrived  at  my 
destined  place  of  residence  for  some  days  at  least,  but 
with  a  deep  sigh  must  add  I  have  not  yet  seen  my  loved 
Peter.  Mr.  Graham*  has,  however,  personally  assured  me 
we  need  entertain  no  fears.  At  six  this  morning  I  reached 
London.  I  first  dressed,  breakfasted,  and  then  sent  a  card 
by  my  brother  James  to  Mr.  Graham. 

"  In  an  hour  they  returned  together,  and  I  am  as  much 
charmed  with  his  appearance  as  we  before  were  with  his 
letters.  He  has  a  most  prepossessing  countenance,  with 
eyes  in  which  are  strongly  pictured  the  sympathetic 
worth  and  goodness  of  his  heart. 

"He  would  not  suffer  me  to  express  my  gratitude  for 
favors  which  are  invaluable,  but  when  I  attempted  to  do 
so,  told  me  he  was  most  effectually  repaid  by  my  not  say- 
ing one  word  about  them. 

"  I  felt  the  tears  ready  to  start  into  my  eyes.  My  first 
inquiry  was  after  my  angel  brother,  and  I  found  the  mat- 
ter not  yet  settled.     '  But,  sir,  may  I  be  sure  it  will  be  set- 

*  A  police  magistrate,  and  a  friend  of  Captain  Pasley,  who  had  invited 
Miss  Heywood  to  stay  at  his  house. 


THE  HEYWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE  135     ^ 

tied  to  our  satisfaction  ?'  '  You  may  indeed,  ma'am,  de- 
pend upon  it.'  Was  not  this  charming  ?  Well,  after  a 
thousand  polite  apologies  for  being  engaged  on  some  par- 
ticular business,  he  requested  I  would  step  into  the  coach 
with  him  immediately,  and  make  his  house  my  home.  I, 
of  course,  insisted  on  his  suffering  me  to  go  alone,  as  his 
hour  of  appointment  was  then  past,  and  said  that  I  would 
take  the  liberty  of  introducing  myself  to  Miss  Graham, 
who  is  the  only  one  of  his  family  at  present  in  town. 

"  On  my  arrival  here,  I  found  Miss  Graham,  a  beautiful 
girl,  about  my  own  size,  and,  I  think,  about  fifteen  or  six- 
teen. She  is  fair,  and  rather  pale  than  otherwise — fine  fea- 
tures, a  most  interesting  countenance,  with  soft-speaking 
hazel  eyes,  and  a  most  bewitching  gentleness  of  manner. 
She  was  at  work,  and  there  was  a  piano-forte  in  the  room, 
so  that  I  suppose  her  musical,  which,  to  me,  gives  her  an 
additional  charm.  On  her  asking  if  I  would  not  like  to  lie 
down  after  my  fatigue,  I  preferred  writing  to  you.  Now, 
mamma,  was  not  that  very  dutiful,  considering  the  weight 
which  must,  of  course,  at  this  moment  press  down  my 
eyelids  ? 

"4  o'clock. — Well,  my  dear  mamma,  I  have  had  a  long 
conversation  with  Mr.  Graham,  and  to  my  utmost  satisfac- 
tion. He  says,  '  I  look  upon  him,'  speaking  of  Peter,  *  to 
be  the  most  amiable  young  man  that  could  possibly  exist. 
I  do  not  scruple  to  say  I  should  not  entirely  believe  you, 
as  you  may  be  partial,  but  I  speak  from  my  own  observa- 
tion. He  conducts  himself  in  such  a  manner  as  will  reflect 
the  highest  and  most  lasting  honor  on  himself,  and  produce 
the  greatest  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  his  friends.' 

"  He  assures  me  that  there  is  not  a  doubt  existing  in 
the  mind  of  any  person  who  has  seen  the  minutes  of  the 
court-martial  respecting  Peter's  innocence.  It  was  Hal- 
lett,  that  vilest  of  wretches,  who  condemned  him,  as  well 
as  the  other  poor  man  who  is  condemned. 

"  How  kind  and  benevolent  has  Mr.  Graham  been !  in 
short,  I  could  tell  you  a  thousand  things  that  would  give 
you  pleasure,  but  dinner  waits,  and  I  must  finish.     I  shall 


136  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

write  Peter  to-morrow,  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  up  all  his 
serenity  of  mind,  which  renders  him  so  admirable. 

"Adieu,  my  dearest  mamma ;  believe  me,  I  have  every 
reason  to  desire  you  will  keep  up  your  spirits ;  and  assure 
yourself  I  shall  labor  unceasingly  for  my  beloved  Peter's 
sake,  with  my  utmost  abilities  and  efforts.  Tell  Dr. 
Scott  so  with  my  kindest  remembrances.  Adieu,  again, 
my  dearest  friends  ;  all  accept  my  love,  and  do  not  forget 
your  most  faithfully  affectionate 

"  Nessy  Heywood." 

Petee  Heywood  to  Nessy  Heywood. 

"  Hector,  October  7th,  1792. 

"  The  date  of  my  dearest  Nessy's  of  yesterday  surprised 
me  very  much  indeed ;  yet  I  must  own  I  had  some  idea 
that  either  you  or  James  would  take  a  trip  to  town  on 
receipt  of  Mr.  Graham's  letters.  Pray,  my  dear,  did  you 
come  alone,  or  is  James  with  you  ?  I  see  your  little  bravery 
of  spirit,  as  you  called  it,  can  surmount  the  greatest  diffi- 
culties, and  all  for  a  poor  son  of  misfortune ;  but,  my  sweet 
girl,  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  reward  you  ;  that  Being,  who 
permits  us  to  enjoy  life,  will  do  it  some  day  or  other. 

"What  obligations,  my  dear  Nessy,  are  we  under  to 
the  inestimable  Mr.  Graham,  and  a  hundred  other  friends  ! 
You  may  say,  you  must  hope.  Alas !  my  love,  it  is  noth- 
ing but  a  broken  staff  which  I  have  leaned  upon,  and  it 
has  pierced  my  soul  in  such  a  manner  that  I  will  never 
more  trust  to  it,  but  wait  with  a  contented  mind  and  pa- 
tience for  the  final  accomplishment  of  the  Divine  will. 

"  You  wish  to  know  how  I  am  in  health,  and  to  tell  you 
the  exact  state  of  my  mind  at  present.  I  never  was  in 
better  health  or  spirits  in  my  life  ;  but  recollect  that  Mrs. 
Hope  is  a  faithless  and  ungrateful  acquaintance,  with 
whom  I  have  now  broken,  off  all  connections,  and  in  her 
stead  have  endeavored  to  cultivate  a  more  sure  friendship 
with  resignation,  in  full  trust  of  finding  her  more  constant. 
Your  mentioning  that  you  left  my  dear  mother  in  better 
spirits  than  could  be  expected  has  exhilarated  mine. 


THE  HEY  WOOD  CORRESPONDENCE  137 

"  My  reason,  my  dear  sister,  for  desiring  you  not  to 
write  much  was  lest  you  might  hurt  yourself  by  it,  and 
from  an  idea  that  your  exalted  sentiments  upon  so  tender 
a  subject  ought  not  to  be  known  to  an  inquiring  world ; 
but  do  just  as  you  like  best.  I  am  conscious  that  your 
good  sense  will  prompt  you  to  nothing  inconsistent  with 
our  present  circumstances. 

"  I  have  not  heard  from  my  uncle  Pasley  since  the  trial 
ended ;  if  you  see  or  write  to  him,  give  my  most  sincere 
duty,  and  endeavor  when  you  write  home  to  raise  my  dear 
mother's  spirits,  and  tell  her  I  am  in  perfect  health,  and 
have  never  yet  felt  the  least  depressed,  except  on  her  ac- 
count, and  that  of  my  dear  sisters,  etc. 

"  For  God's  sake  let  nothing  prompt  you  to  come  here, 
but  remain  content  under  the  care  of  our  benevolent  friend 
Mr.  Graham.  I  need  say  no  more,  but  only  recommend  to 
you,  my  dear  Nessy,  to  keep  up  your  spirits,  and  trust  to 
Him  whose  will  only  can  be  done  towards 

"  Your  ever  affectionate  and  most  faithful  brother, 

"  Peter  Heywood." 

Nessy  Heywood  and  Mr.  Graham  to  Mrs.  Heywood. 

"Friday,  October  26th,  1792,  4  o'clock, 
"  Great  Russell  Street, 

"  Oh,  blessed  hour  !  little  did  I  think,  my  beloved  friends, 
when  I  closed  my  letter  this  morning  that  before  night  I 
should  be  out  of  my  senses  with  joy.  This  moment,  this 
ecstatic  moment,  brought  the  inclosed.*  I  can  not  speak 
my  happiness  ;  let  it  be  sufficient  to  say  that  in  a  very  few 
hours  our  angel  Peter  will  be  free!  Mr.  Graham  goes 
this  night  to  Portsmouth,  and  to-morrow  (or  next  day  at 
farthest)  I  shall  be — oh,  heavens  !  what  shall  I  be  ?  I  am 
already  transported,  even  to  pain ;  then  how  shall  I  bear  to 
clasp  him  to  the  bosom  of  your  happy — oh,  how  happy  ! — 
and  affectionate  Nessy  Heywood. 

"  I  am  too  mad  to  write,  but  'tis  a  pleasure  I  would  not 

*  Information  that  the  pardon  had  been  sent  down  to  Portsmouth. 


138  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

forego  to  be  the -most  reasonable  being  on  earth.  I  asked 
Mr.  Graham,  who  is  at  my  elbow,  if  he  would  say  any 
thing  to  you.  '  Lord !'  said  he,  '  I  can't  say  any  thing.' 
He  is  almost  as  mad  as  myself." 

Mr.  Graham,  however,  writes  : 

"I  have  my  senses  sufficiently  about  me  not  to  suffer 
this  to  go  without  begging  leave  to  congratulate  you 
upon,  and  to  assure  you  that  I  most  sincerely  sympathize 
and  participate  in,  the  happiness  which  I  am  sure  the 
inclosed  will  convey  to  the  mother  and  sisters  of  my 
charming  and  beloved  Nessy.  If  it  be  necessary,  I  can 
safely  add  that  I  am,  and  ever  shall  remain,  with  the  great- 
est regard,  my  dear  madam,  your  most  faithful  humble 
servant,  A.  Geaham." 

About  the  same  period,  Mr.  Graham  wrote  to  a  friend 
of  the  Hey  woods  as  follows  : 

"  It  will  be  a  great  satisfaction  to  Mr.  Hey  wood's  family 
to  learn  that  the  declarations  of  some  of  the  other  prison- 
ers, since  the  trial,  have  put  it  past  all  doubt  that  the  evi- 
dence upon  which  he  was  convicted  must  have  been  (to  say 
nothing  worse  of  it)  an  unfortunate  belief  on  the  part  of 
the  witness,*  of  circumstances  which  either  never  had  ex- 
istence, or  were  applicable  to  one  of  the  other  gentlemen 
who  remained  in  the  ship,  and  not  to  Mr.  Peter  Hey- 
wood." 

After  more  than  five  weeks  of  suspense  and  anxiety — 
on  the  morning  of  the  27th.  of  October,  1792,  His  Majesty's 
free  and  unconditional  pardon  for  Mr.  Heywood  and  James 
Morrison,  was  received  by  Captain  Montague  on  board  the 
Hector. 

He  immediately  sent  for  the  two  prisoners,  and  shaking 
hands  with  them,  read  the  important  document  which  re- 

*  Alluding  to  the  evidence  given  by  Lieutenant  llallett. 


THE  HEYWOOD  CORRESPONDENCE.  139 

stored  them  to  liberty  with  unimpeached  characters.  At 
the  conclusion,  Mr.  Heywood,  with  considerable  emotion, 
addressed  Captain  Montague  in  the  following  terms : 

"  Sir, — When  the  sentence  of  the  law  was  passed  upon 
me,  I  received  it,  I  trust,  as  became  a  man,  and  if  it  had 
been  carried  into  execution,  I  should  have  met  my  fate,  I 
hope,  in  a  manner  becoming  a  Christian. 

"  Your  admonition  can  not  fail  to  make  a  lasting  im- 
pression on  my  mind.*  I  receive  with  gratitude  my  sov- 
ereign's mercy,  for  which  my  future  life  shall  be  faithfully 
devoted  to  his  service." 

Nessy  Heywood,  etc.,  to  Mrs.  Heywood. 

"Great  Russell  Street,  Monday  morning, 

"29th  of  October,  half-past  10  o'clock. 

4 '  The  brightest  moment  of  my  existence. 
"My  dear  Mamma, — I  have  seen  him — clasped  him  to 
my  bosom  —  and  my  felicity  is  beyond  conception.  In 
person  he  is  almost,  even  now,  as  I  could  wish ;  in  mind, 
you  know  him,  an  angel.  I  can  write  no  more,  but  to  tell 
you  that  the  three  happiest  beings  at  this  moment  on 
earth  are  your  most  dutiful  and  affectionate  children, 

Nessy  Heywood, 
"  Love  to  and  from  all,  Peter  Heywood, 

ten  thousand  times.  James  Heywood." 

"  I  can  not  help  taking  up  the  pen,  my  dear  madam,  to 
congratulate  you  on  your  beloved  Peter's  arrival  once 
more  in  London.  That  he  may  long  enjoy  that  first  of 
blessings,  liberty,  and  the  company  of  his  amiable  family, 
is  the  wish,  dear  madam,  of  your  most  obedient  humble 
servant,  Maria  Graham. "f 

On  the  same  day  that  the  pardon  for  Mr.  Heywood 
and  Morrison  arrived  at  Portsmouth,  Lord  Hood,  who  had 
been  the  President  of  the  court-martial,  wrote  to  Captain 

*  Captain  Montague  advised  him  to  re-enter  the  navy  without  delay, 
t  She  died  a  few  months  afterwards  of  a  short  illness. 


140  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Pasley,  offering  to  take  young  Heywood  as  midshipman 
on  board  the  Victory.  This  gratifying  proposal,  however, 
was  declined  for  him,  as  his  uncle  preferred  taking  him  on 
board  his  own  ship,  the  Bellerophon,  thinking  he  would 
learn  more  of  his  profession  in  a  smaller  vessel  than  on 
board  the  flag-ship. 

His  health  had  begun  to  suffer  from  confinement  and 
anxiety,  and,  consequently,  he  obtained  from  the  Admiral- 
ty leave  of  absence  for  several  months,  to  visit  his  family 
and  to  recruit  his  strength  prior  to  joining  his  ship. 

To  James  Morrison,  whose  shattered  health  equally 
needed  repose,  the  same  period  of  leave  was  granted,  and 
he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  "gunner"  on  his  appoint- 
ment to  a  ship. 

Although  the  sentence  of  the  court-martial  left  no  hope 
of  pardon  for  the  four  remaining  prisoners,  the  Lords 
Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty  did  not  deem  the  evi- 
dence given  by  Lieutenant  T.  Hayward  satisfactory,  and 
as  it  was  upon  his  testimony  alone,  unsupported  by  any 
other,  that  Muspratt  had  been  condemned,  they  sent  down 
at  the  last  moment  a  respite  for  him  during  His  Majesty's 
pleasure. 

With  regard  to  Mill  ward  and  Birkett,  it  had  been  as- 
serted that  they  had  had  arms  in  their  hands,  and  were  on 
deck  during  the  mutiny ;  but  Ellison,  on  the  evidence  of 
all  the  witnesses,  had  been  proved  guilty  as  an  active  par- 
tisan in  the  mutiny,  and  had  said  "  he  would  stand  sentry 
over  Lieutenant  Bligh."  Upon  these  three  the  extreme 
penalty  of  the  law  was  carried  out.  They  suffered  with 
much  fortitude  and  resignation ;  Ellison  was  truly  peni- 
tent, acknowledged  the  justice  of  his  sentence,  and  trusted 
that  his  fate  might  prove  a  warning  to  others,  never  to  be 
led  into  acts  of  insubordination  and  violence  against  con- 
stituted authority. 


NE8SY  HEYWOOD.  141 

A  sad,  although  an  indirect  result  of  the  proceedings  we 
have  related,  occurred  the  following  year,  in  the  death  of 
Miss  N.  Heywood,  whose  name  has  been  so  much  associ- 
ated with  this  portion  of  the  narrative.  The  few  months 
she  passed  in  her  brother's  society  in  the  Isle  of  Man, 
were  (to  use  her  own  expression)  "  months  of  unalloyed 
happiness,"  nor  was  the  pain  of  parting  with  him  for  an 
indefinite  period  so  severely  felt  by  her,  as  she  looked  for- 
ward with  pride  and  pleasure  to  his  future  and  successful 
career.  But  the  parting  was  to  be  forever !  Protracted 
anxiety  had  worn  out  a  naturally  delicate  constitution,  and 
the  beloved  Nessy  was  removed  to  that  happier  world 
where  care  and  sorrow  are  unknown.  She  had  never  re- 
covered the  effects  of  the  tempestuous  voyage  to  Liver- 
pool, during  which  she  was  for  so  many  hours  drenched 
by  the  waves  in  the  little  fishing-boat ;  and  on  her  arrival, 
her  anxiety  to  reach  London  was  too  great  to  allow  of  the 
repose  and  refreshment  necessary  after  so  much  exposure. 
Her  health  visibly  declined  at  the  conclusion  of  the  court- 
martial  ;  it  seemed  as  if  the  transition  from  sorrow  to 
happiness  had  been  more  than  her  enfeebled  frame  could 
bear ;  but  her  family  and  friends  apprehended  no  danger, 
until  she  paid  a  visit  to  Major  Yorke,  at  Bishop's  Grove, 
near  Tunbridge  Wells.  While  there,  she  accompanied  her 
friends  to  a  ball  in  the  neighborhood,  and  immediately  af- 
terwards was  seized  with  a  violent  cold,  accompanied  with 
inflammation  of  the  lungs.  For  a  few  days  the  attack  ap- 
peared to  have  yielded  to  medical  treatment,  and  Mrs. 
Yorke  was  recommended  to  remove  her  to  Hastings, 
which  she  did  on  the  5  th  of  September ;  but  all  was  in 
vain,  and  Nessy  succumbed  to  the  fatal  malady  on  the 
25th  of  the  same  month,  1793,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six. 

Her  mother,  in  a  touching  notice  of  this  sad  event, 
writes,  "Alas !  it  was  too  late  for  Nessy  to  receive  the 


142  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

wished-for  benefit  from  sea-air,  and  she  has  left  her  only 
surviving  parent,  a  disconsolate  mother,  to  lament,  as  long 
as  she  lives,  the  irreparable  loss  of  her  invaluable,  affec- 
tionate, and  darling  daughter." 

The  charm  of  Nessy  Hey  wood's  character,  and  the  fasci- 
nation which  she  appears  to  have  exerted  over  her  rela- 
tives and  friends,  arose  principally  from  her  unselfishness 
and  warmth  of  heart.  Her  brother  Peter  has  described 
her  personal  appearance  as  follows  : 

"  Nessy  was  below  the  middle  height,  but  well-formed, 
and  graceful  in  her  movements.  Her  features  were  by  no 
means  regular,  but  her  eyes  redeemed  the  whole  face,  they 
were  shaded  with  long,  drooping  eyelashes,  and  either 
sparkled  with  intelligence  and  vivacity,  or  melted  with 
the  tenderest  sympathy.  Her  mind  had  been  well  culti- 
vated, and  she  inherited  from  her  father  her  talent  for 
music,  which  was  also  possessed  by  several  of  his  other 
children ;  but  Nessy's  fine  voice,  and  power  of  execution, 
both  on  the  organ  and  piano,  rendered  the  family  concerts 
peculiarly  attractive,  and  on  some  occasions  she  would  ac- 
company her  father  on  the  violin,  both  being  skillful  per- 
formers on  that  instrument.  With  such  accomplishments, 
it  may  be  readily  imagined  that,  among  her  friends  and 
acquaintances,  no  party  was  complete  without  Nessy's 
presence,  and  her  impromptu  songs,  composed  for  these 
friendly  meetings,  were  long  remembered  in  her  native 
island." 

We  have  already  given  specimens  of  her  poetry ;  the 
following  lines  were  written  during  her  last  illness : 

"Silence  then — 
The  whispers  of  complaint  low  in  the  dust, 
Dissatisfaction's  demon-growl  unheard — 
All,  all  is  good,  all  excellent  below. 
Pain  is  a  blessing — sorrow  leads  to  joy — 
Joy  permanent  and  solid!     Ev'ry  ill, 


BLIGH'S  NEW  EXPEDITION  143 

Grim  death  itself,  in  all  its  horrors  clad, 

Is  man's  supremest  privilege!     It  frees 

The  soul  from  prison,  from  foul  sin,  from  woe, 

And  gives  it  back  to  glory,  rest,  and  God ! 

Cheerly,  my  friends,  oh!  cheerly — look  not  thus 

With  Pity's  melting  softness;   that  alone 

Can  shake  my  fortitude — all  is  not  lost. 

Lo!   I  have  gained  on  this  important  day 

A  victory  consummate  o'er  myself; 

And  o'er  this  life  a  victory — on  this  day, 

My  birthday  to  eternity,  I've  gained 

Dismission  from  a  world,  where  for  a  while, 

Like  you,  like  all,  a  pilgrim  passing  poor ; 

A  traveller,  a  stranger,  I  have  met 

Still  stranger  treatment  rude  and  harsh — so  much 

The  dearer,  more  desired  the  Home  I  seek 

Eternal  of  my  Father  and  my  God ! 

Then  pious  resignation,  meek-eyed  power 

Sustain  me  still!     Composure  still  be  mine!" 

This  chapter  may  now  be  appropriately  terminated  with 
sketches  of  the  subsequent  services  of  those  of  the  officers 
of  the  Bounty  who  returned  to  England,  and  with  whose 
names  we  have  become  familiar. 

In  consequence  of  the  solicitations  of  the  West  Indian 
merchants,  the  Government  decided  to  send  out  another 
expedition  to  the  South  Seas,  with  the  same  object  as  the 
first,  which  had  terminated  so  disastrously.  A  vessel  was 
purchased  named  the  Providence,  also  a  small  tender  to 
accompany  her,  and  Captain  Bligh,  being  again  appointed 
to  the  command,  sailed  from  England  in  the  summer  of 
1791.  In  the  spring  of  1792  they  reached  Tahiti,  occupied 
three  months  only  in  collecting  twelve  hundred  young 
bread-fruit  trees,  the  greater  number  of  which  were  suc- 
cessfully carried  to  the  West  Indian  Islands,*  and  Captain 

*  As  regarded  providing  a  desirable  article  of  food  for  the  negroes,  the 
expedition  proved  a  failure.  They  disliked  the  insipid  flavor  of  the  bread- 
fruit, and  it  did  not  yield  so  quick  a  return  for  the  labor  of  cultivation  as 
the  plantain. 


144  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Bligh  returned  to  England  in  1793,  when  he  received  the 
gold  medal  from  the  Society  of  Arts  as  a  reward  for  his 
exertions. 

The  court-martial  was  over  long  before  his  arrival ;  but 
Edward  Christian,  the  distinguished  brother  of  the  chief 
mutineer,  had  published  minutes  of  its  proceedings,  with  a 
copious  appendix ;  and,  although  it  was  impossible  to  pal- 
liate the  illegal  proceedings  of  Fletcher  Christian  and  his 
associates,  yet,  here  and  on  the  trial,  so  much  was  dis- 
closed of  oppression  and  unjustifiable  treatment  of  both 
officers  and  men  on  the  part  of  the  commander,  that  the 
tide  of  public  opinion  and  favor  greatly  changed  regard- 
ing his  conduct.  To  reply  to  these  allegations  occupied 
Captain  Bligh  several  months;  and  he  was  greatly  irri- 
tated at  the  necessity  he  felt  of  making  what  he  termed 
"  his  defense." 

He  was  afterwards  employed  in  active  service,  and,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  remarkable  mutiny  at  the  Nore,  was 
ordered  to  negotiate  among  the  seamen,  with  the  view  of 
bringing  them  to  a  sense  of  their  duty ;  on  which  occasion 
he  acted  with  great  intrepidity.  In  the  two  famous  ac- 
tions of  Cape  St.  Vincent  and  Camperdown,  Captain  Bligh 
commanded  the  Glatton,  and  also  at  the  battle  of  Copen- 
hagen: on  the  latter  occasion  Lord  Nelson  sent  for  him, 
and  thanked  him  for  his  admirable  support  during  the 
action. 

In  1805,  he  was  appointed  Governor  of  New  South 
Wales,  and  there  his  oppressive,  arbitrary  conduct  raised 
against  him  a  host  of  enemies.  He  had  been  instructed 
by  the  Home  Government  to  restrain  within  certain  limits 
the  importation  of  spirits  into  the  colony ;  and  many  men 
might  have  introduced  this  unpalatable  reform  without 
creating  such  hostile  and  dangerous  opposition.  Bligh, 
however,  had  no  tact,  no  spirit  of  conciliation,  and,  in  con- 


ADMIRAL  BLIGH.— JAMES  MORRISON.  145 

sequence,  he  was  the  cause  of  a  military  mutiny.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1808,  the  New  South  Wales  Corps,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant-colonel  G.  Johnstone,  deposed  Governor  Bligh, 
and  placed  him  on  board  a  ship  proceeding  to  England.* 
On  his  arrival,  the  public  were  not  surprised  to  hear  he 
had  been  sent  away  in  so  summary  a  manner ;  but  the 
Government  were,  of  course,  compelled  to  order  a  court- 
martial  on  Colonel  Johnstone,  who  came  to  England  with 
several  officers  for  his  trial.  It  was  held  in  Chelsea  Hos- 
pital, and  lasted  thirteen  days.  Colonel  Johnstone  was 
convicted  of  mutiny,  and  cashiered,  but  allowed  to  return 
to  the  colony,  and  no  executions  took  place. 

Captain  Bligh  then  retired  into  private  life,  where  he 
appears  to  have  displayed  more  amiability  of  character 
than  in  any  public  capacity,  as  he  was  beloved  by  his  fam- 
ily and  friends.  He  attained  the  rank  of  Vice-admiral  of 
the  Blue,  and  died  in  London  at  the  age  of  sixty-five. 

The  petty  officer,  James  Morrison  (whose  journal  has 
been  so  frequently  quoted  in  the  foregoing  pages),  had 
employed  the  three  months  of  his  captivity  on  board  the 
Hector  in  writing  out  from  notes  which  he  had  kept  of 
daily  occurrences  from  the  period  of  the  departure  of  the 
Bounty  from  England  to  his  return  as  a  prisoner. 

This  note-book  he  preserved  in  the  wreck  of  the  Pan- 
dora, and  to  these  notices  added  minute  descriptions  of 
the  places  at  which  the  Bounty  had  touched,  especially 
the  Society  Islands ;  his  long  residence  at  Tahiti  enabling 

*  Wentworth's  "New  South  Wales,"  and  " Curious  Facts  of  Old  Colo- 
nial Days,"  by  James  Bonwick,  F.R.G.S.     London,  1870. 

The  following  paragraph  appeared  in  a  number  of  the  "  Sydney  Morn- 
ing Herald"  of  1869  :  "There  is  a  man  living  (in  the  healthful  district 
of  Kurragong)  one  hundred  and  thirteen  years  of  age.  His  name  is  Mi- 
chael Norton.  He  states  that  he  was  the  sergeant  who  was  in  charge  of 
the  party,  under  an  officer  named  Ross,  who  marched  to  Government- 
house  to  arrest  Governor  Bligh,  as  recorded  in  colonial  annals." 

7 


146  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

him  to  describe  minutely  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
inhabitants,  as  well  as  the  general  productions  of  the  isl- 
ands. The  manuscript  of  this  journal,  consisting  of  three 
hundred  pages  folio,  he  presented  to  Peter  Hey  wood  when 
they  parted.* 

After  his  release,  Morrison  served  in  various  ships  ;  but 
when  Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Troubridge  was  sent  out  in  the 
Blenheim,  as  commander-in-chief  on  the  Indian  station, 
Morrison  was  appointed  gunner  on  board  the  flag-ship — 
as  prior  to  joining  the  Bounty  he  had  served  under  the 
Admiral  (then  Captain  Troubridge),  who  thought  highly 
of  his  abilities  and  of  his  good  conduct. 

On  the  appointment  of  Sir  Edward  Pellew  (Viscount 
Exmouth)  to  succeed  Sir  T.  Troubridge  in  the  command 
of  the  East  Indian  Station,  the  Blenheim  proceeded  from 
Pulo  Penang  to  Madras  to  meet  the  new  commander-in- 
chief.  On  her  arrival  she  was  pronounced  unfit  for  sea, 
being  (according  to  the  surveyor's  report)  "  much  hog- 
ged," and  her  beams,  etc.,  showing  she  was  in  danger  of 
falling  to  pieces.  In  this  state  the  incessant  labor  of  the 
crew  hardly  sufficed  to  keep  the  water  from  gaining  on 
them,  even  while  the  ship  lay  at  anchor.  In  vain  the 
flag-captain  and  officers  represented  that  she  would  be  the 
coffin  of  all  on  board ;  in  vain  it  was  urged  upon  the  in- 
trepid admiral  to  return  to  England  in  another  ship ;  he  in- 
sisted on  taking  her,  at  all  events,  to  the  Cape,  saying, "  I 
will  not  leave  my  good  old  ship ;  I  will  go  to  the  Cape  in 
her,  or  not  go  at  all."  She  sailed  from  Madras  in  compa- 
ny with  the  Juno  frigate  early  in  1807  ;  and  as  neither  of 
them  was  again  heard  of,  it  is  supposed  they  were  both 
lost  in  a  gale  off  the  Isle  of  Bourbon :  and  thus  perished 

*  This  manuscript,  and  other  papers,  are  in  the  possession  of  the 
writer. 


CAREER  OF  PETER  HEY  WOOD.  147 

James  Morrison,  with  the  gallant  officers  and  crew  of  the 
Blenheim. 

The  careers  of  Mr.  Thomas  Hayward  and  Mr.  Hallett, 
the  two  midshipmen  of  the  Bounty  who  gave  evidence  on 
the  court-martial,  were  short  and  uneventful. 

Hayward,  who  became  third  lieutenant  of  the  Pandora, 
was  in  due  course  of  service  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  Swift,  sloop-of-war,  and  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  East 
Indies.  From  thence  she  was  sent  to  China,  and  as  there 
were  no  tidings  of  her  safe  arrival,  the  conclusion  was  that 
she  had  foundered,  with  all  on  board,  in  a  typhoon  in  the 
China  Seas. 

Mr.  Hallett  was  appointed  as  lieutenant  in  the  Penelope 
frigate,  on  board  of  which  vessel  he  died.  In  his  last  mo- 
ments he  expressed  his  contrition  for  the  unfavorable  evi- 
dence he  had  given  against  his  friend  Peter  Hey  wood; 
and  said  that  he  had  since  felt  convinced  he  had  spoken 
too  positively  of  facts  concerning  which  he  could  not  be 
certain,  for  that  in  the  confusion  on  the  fatal  morning  of 
the  mutiny  he  was  quite  bewildered.  He  added  also,  that 
on  the  voyage  to  England  with  Lieutenant  Bligh  he  had 
been  too  much  influenced  by  that  officer,  who  had  taken  a 
prejudice  against  Peter  Heywood;  and  he  earnestly  en- 
treated his  captain  that  this  information  might  be  commu- 
nicated to  his  former  shipmate  and  his  family  as  the  only 
reparation  in  his  power  to  make  for  the  injury  he  had  in- 
flicted on  them.* 

The  future  career  of  Peter  Heywood  was  in  no  way 
prejudiced  by  the  misfortunes  of  his  early  life.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  court-martial,  Lord  Hood,  who  had  been 
president,  recommended  him,  on  receiving  His  Majesty's 


*  Sir  John  Barrow  has  corroborated  this  fact,  and  taken  some  trouble 
to  ascertain  its  truth. 


148  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

pardon,  to  embark  again  as  midshipman  in  His  Majesty's 
service,  without  any  needless  delay  after  the  recovery  of 
his  health ;  and  offered  to  take  him  on  board  his  own  ship, 
the  Victory.  This  proposal  was  declined  for  him  by 
Commodore  Pasley,  who  thought  he  would  learn  more  of 
his  profession  in  a  frigate  than  in  a  line-of-battle  ship. 
Immediately  on  his  release,  however,  Heywood  was  allow- 
ed leave  of  absence  to  visit  his  family  in  the  Isle  of  Man, 
and  some  repose  was  necessary  for  the  recovery  of  his 
health,  which  had  become  impaired  from  the  anxiety  and 
suspense  he  had  suffered  during  the  three  months  prior  to 
his  trial. 

On  the  17th  of  May  he  joined  his  uncle's  ship,  the  Belle- 
rophon,  and  soon  afterwards  was  transferred  to  the  Niger, 
Honorable  Captain  Legge,  where  he  served  as  master's- 
mate.  Subsequently  he  joined  the  Queen  Charlotte — the 
flag-ship  of  Earl  Howe,  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Chan- 
nel Squadron,  where  he  served  as  signal  midshipman  and 
master's-mate ;  and  in  the  actions  of  May  28th  and  29th, 
and  the  1st  of  June,  1794,  acted  on  the  quarter-deck  of 
that  ship  as  aid-de-camp  to  Sir  Andrew  Snape  Douglas. 
When  the  victorious  fleet  returned  to  Spithead,  he  was  se- 
lected as  one  of  the  two  midshipmen  to  attend  the  side 
when  His  Majesty  visited  the  Queen  Charlotte,  making  use 
of  her  barge.  In  August,  1794,  he  was  appointed  lieuten- 
ant to  La  Nymphe,  Captain  G.  Murray,  and  was  actively 
employed  in  Lord  Bridport's  action  off  L'Orient,  when 
three  French  ships  were  taken.  He  afterwards  served  in 
the  North  Sea,  and  in  India  under  the  flag  of  Vice-admi- 
ral Rainier,  and  obtained  successively  the  ranks  of  com- 
mander and  post-captain. 

In  command  of  the  Leopard,  Captain  Heywood  was  or- 
dered to  make  extensive  surveys  on  the  north-east  and 
east  coast  of  Ceylon,  continuing  these  surveys  along  the 


CAREER   OF  PETER  HEYWOOD.  149 

coasts  of  India  and  the  Eastern  Islands.  This  service  ena- 
bled him  to  give  material  assistance  to  his  friend  James 
Horsburgh,  the  hydrographer  to  the  East  India  Company, 
in  his  important  "  Directions  and  Charts  for  Sailing  to  the 
East  Indies,  and  in  the  Indian  Ocean ;"  but  his  large  col- 
lection of  notes  and  charts  were  sent  to  the  Admiralty  in 
1805,  when  he  was  compelled  from  impaired  health  to  in- 
valid from  the  Leopard,  and  return  to  England. 

In  1800  he  became  flag-captain  to  Admiral  Sir  G.  Mur- 
ray, who  in  1808  was  sent  to  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  on  im- 
portant diplomatic  service,  as  well  as  to  protect  the  inter- 
ests of  the  English  merchants.  A  civil  war  was  then  rag- 
ing; the  South  American  Provinces  had  determined  to 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  the  mother  country,  and  in  an  at- 
tempt to  retake  Buenos  Ayres,  the  British  forces,  under 
Lieutenant-general  Whitelock,  sustained  unfortunate  re- 
verses. 

In  1809  Captain  Hey  wood  returned  to  England,  and  in 
command  of  the  Nereus  was  ordered  to  join  the  Channel 
Squadron,  which  in  an  engagement  destroyed  the  French 
ships  that  had  anchored  in  the  Sable-d'Olonne.  The  Ne- 
reus  was  afterwards  sent  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  in  1810 
her  captain  had  the  honor  of  bringing  to  England  the  re- 
mains of  that  great  commander  and  truly  good  man,  Lord 
Collingwood. 

Captain  Heywood  was  again  sent  to  South  America  in 
the  Nereus  on  a  diplomatic  mission,  as  he  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  chiefs  of  the  Revolution.  Having  con- 
cluded the  negotiations  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  own  Gov- 
ernment and  that  of  Buenos  Ayres,  he  returned,  and  was 
appointed  to  the  Montague,  74,  to  join  the  North  Sea  Fleet 
under  the  command  of  H.R.H.  the  Duke  of  Clarence  and 
Admiral  Young.  The  Montague  was  ordered  again  to 
form  one  of  the  Channel  Squadron,  and,  finally,  the  Medi- 


150  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

terranean  Fleet  under  Viscount  Exmouth ;  and  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  war,  when  our  naval  armaments  were  re- 
duced, Captain  Heywood  retired  into  private  life. 

He  married  the  widow  of  Captain  George  Jolliffe,  of 
the  East  Indian  maritime  service,  and,  happy  in  his  do- 
mestic relations,  and  surrounded  by  a  large  circle  of 
literary  and  scientific  friends,  whose  pursuits  were  most 
congenial  to  his  tastes,  he  had  no  desire  beyond  but  to 
promote  benevolent  and  philanthropic  enterprises. 

In  1818,  the  command  on  the  lakes  of  Canada  becoming 
vacant,  Lord  Melville  offered  it  to  Captain  Heywood,  con- 
siderately making  acceptance  optional.  Possessing  an  in- 
dependence, and  not  feeling  it  a  duty  to  serve  in  time  of 
peace,  he  addressed  a  letter  to  his  lordship  stating  these 
reasons  for  declining  the  honor,  but  adding,  that  in  the 
event  of  war  he  would  be  most  anxious  to  place  his  serv- 
ices at  the  disposal  of  their  lordships. 

He  afterwards  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  further  the 
interests  of  his  profession,  and  was  in  constant  communica- 
tion with  the  Hydrographical  Department  of  the  Admi- 
ralty, at  the  head  of  which  at  that  period  was  Captain 
Hurd,  R.N.  A  considerable  time  after  the  death  of  this 
officer,  and  in  the  year  1829,  it  was  deemed  important  to 
fill  the  appointment  permanently,  as  Sir  E.  Parry's  serv- 
ices were  directed  to  the  steam  department,  and  he  could 
only  hold  it  temporarily.  Lord  Melville  then  sent  for 
Captain  Heywood,  and  proposed  that  he  should  accept 
the  office.  In  addition  to  other  reasons  for  declining  pub- 
lic employment,  his  health,  which  for  several  months  had 
been  failing,  was  then  visibly  declining,  and  he  urged  on 
his  lordship  that  the  appointment  should  be  offered  to  his 
esteemed  friend  Captain  Beaufort,  who,  from  his  abilities 
and  acquirements  was  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  office. 
There  were  no  feelings  of  rivalry  between  these  two  offi- 


BE  A  TH  OF  PETER  HE  YWO  OB.  151 

cers,  whose  appreciation  of  each  other's  character  and  tal- 
ents, and  long  steady  friendship,  continued  to  the^  close 
of  life. 

During  his  latter  years  Captain  Heywood  labored  un- 
der a  fatal  heart  disease,  which  he  bore  with  Christian 
calmness,  and  thankfulness  for  the  many  blessings  he  had 
enjoyed;  averring  that,  notwithstanding  the  sufferings 
and  anxieties  which  had  attended  his  early  career,  he 
would  willingly  pass  through  his  life  again,  with  all  its 
trials  and  vicissitudes.  He  died  the  10th  of  February, 
1831. 

The  following  stanzas  are  from  an  address  presented 
to  him  by  the  ship's  company  on  the  paying  off  of  the 
Montague : 

"Farewell  to  thee,  Montague,  yet  ere  we  quit  thee, 
We'll  give  thee  the  tribute  so  justly  thy  due ; 
For  many  a  seaman  will  fondly  regret  thee, 

And  wish  to  rejoin  thee,  thou  gem  of  True  Blue. 

For  stout  were  thy  timbers,  and  stoutly  commanded, 
In  the  records  of  glory  untarnished  thy  name, 

Still  ready  for  battle  when  glory  demanded, 
All  ready  to  conquer  or  die  in  thy  fame. 

Farewell  to  thee,  Heywood,  a  truer  one  never 
Hath  exercised  rule  o'er  the  sons  of  the  wave , 

The  seamen  who  served  thee,  would  serve  thee  forever, 
Who  swayed,  but  ne'er  fettered,  the  hearts  of  the  brave." 


CHRISTIAN  AND  HIS  ASSOCIATES.  153 


PART   SECOND. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Position  of  the  Mutineers. — Arrival  at  Pitcairn  Island. — Destruction  of 
the  Bounty. — Death  of  Fletcher  Christian,  Edward  Young,  and  others. 
— Alexander  Smith  (John  Adams),  sole  Survivor. 

In  a  foregoing  chapter  we  have  recorded  the  legal  pro- 
ceedings which  took  place  on  the  return  of  those  officers 
and  men  to  England  who,  having  had  the  misfortune  of 
being  connected  with  the  Bounty,  were  brought  home 
prisoners,  and  tried  by  court-martial.  Our  narrative  now 
requires  that  the  reader  should  transfer  his  thoughts  to 
that  part  of  the  globe  where  those  events  took  place 
which  are  recorded  in  the  early  part  of  this  volume,  for 
they  led  to  the  settlement  of  the  principal  mutineers  on  a 
small  island  in  the  South  Pacific  Ocean.  These  nine  men 
(whose  names  have  already  been  given)  were  bound  to- 
gether by  no  principle,  but  only  by  the  fact  that  they 
were  brethren  in  crime,  all  of  them  having  participated 
more  or  less  in  a  deed  of  violence  which  amounted  to 
piracy  on  the  high  seas.  They  had  revolted  from  lawful 
authority,  and  were  amenable  to  those  Articles  of  War 
which  regulate  the  service  to  which  they  belonged,  and 
by  that  code  their  lives  were  forfeited.  With  reference 
to  their  leader,  Fletcher  Christian,  it  is  remarkable  that  a 
feeling  of  respect  for  him  was  predominant  among  them, 
and  this  feeling,  partly  arising,  it  is  probable,  from  habitu- 
al deference  to  a  superior  officer,  and  partly  from  his  su- 
perior intellect  and  intelligence,  no  act  of  his  appears  to 


154  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

have  lessened,  even  to  the  close  of  his  life.  The  drama  in 
which  they  played  so  considerable  a  part  had  been  com- 
menced by  tyranny,  continued  by  violence,  and  (as  will  be 
seen)  ended  in  bloodshed  and  death. 

Sad  indeed  are  the  events  now  to  be  related,  and  yet 
they  seem  but  a  natural  sequence  to  those  which  have 
preceded  them  in  this  tale  of  misery  and  distress.  Pas- 
sion and  strife  are  as  terrible  in  their  results  as  the  war 
of  the  elements,  and  in  this  narrative  oppressors  and  op- 
pressed seem  to  have  alike  suffered ;  some,  from  the  prox- 
imity of  death  in  the  most  appalling  forms,  either  by  fam- 
ine or  shipwreck;  and  others  again  from  violence  at  the 
hands  of  their  friends  and  associates.  It  is,  however,  con- 
soling to  reflect,  in  reading  these  and  the  preceding  de- 
tails, that  the  causes  which  led  to  so  singular  a  chain  of 
circumstances,  are  not  likely  to  occur  again  in  the  im- 
proved state  of  naval  discipline.  Neither  is  it  probable 
that  a  small  band  of  outlaws  (as  the  mutineers  may  be 
termed)  would  be  able  to  remain  long  undiscovered  in  the 
South  Pacific  Ocean,  now  so  well  known  and  traversed  by 
vessels  of  every  description ;  but  that  period,  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  last,  and  the  commencement  of  the  present 
century,  was  marked  by  such  stirring  events,  involving 
interests  "so  important,  that  the  attention  of  the  public  was 
almost  entirely  absorbed  by  the  naval  and  military  un- 
dertakings in  which  England  was  engaged.  All  Europe 
crouched  beneath  the  foot  of  one  individual,  whose  insa- 
tiable ambition  made  the  name  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  a 
word  of  terror  in  every  city  and  country  homestead. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  was  not  surprising  that 
public  curiosity  should  have  subsided  concerning  the 
Bounty  and  the  fate  of  a  few  sailors  who  had  outraged 
the  laws  of  their  country  and  had  disappeared  among  the 
islands  of  the  Southern  Ocean.     Whether  they  were  alive 


VO  YA  OE  TO  PITGAIRN  ISLAND.  155 

or  not,  no  one  cared,  perhaps  not  even  their  own  relatives, 
upon  whom  their  illegal  act  had  inflicted  so  much  sorrow 
and  disgrace.  It  was  otherwise,  however,  with  regard  to 
the  relatives  of  Fletcher  Christian.  In  his  case,  a  mother 
and  sister,  to  whom  he  had  been  devotedly  attached,  long 
survived  to  deplore  his  fate — whether  by  untimely  death, 
or  a  blighted  existence  in  some  obscure  retreat — and  they 
doubted  whether  his  criminality  had  not  been  in  some 
measure  due  to  the  harsh  treatment  of  a  superior  officer. 
But  by  the  rest  of  his  relatives  his  very  name  was  to  be 
buried  in  oblivion,  for,  in  addition  to  the  mutinous  out- 
break, Lieutenant  Bligh  had  painted  his  character  in  such 
dark  colors,  that  even  the  able  defense  written  by  his  dis- 
tinguished brother*  could  not  remove  the  stain  from  his 
reputation. 

We  shall  now  take  up  the  subsequent  history  of  the 
mutineers,  from  the  point  where  Christian,  having  landed 
those  officers  and  men  from  the  Bounty  who  preferred  re- 
maining at  Tahiti,  sailed  from  Maatavaye  Bay,  standing  in 
a  northerly  direction.  It  has  been  ascertained  that  a 
copy  of  Captain  Carteret's  "Voyage  to  the  South  Seas" 
(to  which  allusion  has  been  made)  was  among  the  books 
left  on  board  the  Bounty,  which,  as  it  described  the  loneli- 
ness of  Pitcairn  Island,  probably  determined  Christian  to 
search  for  it,  as  a  safe  retreat  for  himself  and  his  followers. 
From  the  want  of  correctness  in  latitude  and  longitude,  as 
laid  down  by  Captain  Carteret  in  the  charts,  the  cruise 
occupied  several  weeks,  and  when  it  began  to  appear  hope- 
less, a  rock  was  descried  far  distant,  rising  high  in  the 
midst  of  the  ocean.  In  the  anxiety  Christian,  no  doubt, 
endured  throughout  the  voyage  from  Tahiti,  security  from 
discovery  being  his  leading  object,  he  must  have  observed 

*  Edward  Christian,  editor  of  "  Blackstone's  Commentaries." 


156  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

with  satisfaction  the  lofty  precipices  which  bounded  the 
isle  on  every  side — precipices  forbidding  all  facility  of 
landing ;  and  an  extraordinary  depth  of  water  to  its  very 
shores,  precluding  the  possibility  of  ships  anchoring. 
"What  a  little  speck  it  appears  in  the  vast  Pacific" 
(wrote  one  who  many  years  afterwards  visited  it), "  a  mere 
rock,  apparently  incapable  of  resisting  the  mighty  waves 
of  so  vast  an  ocean.  Easily,  indeed,  would  a  ship,  not 
knowing  its  exact  position,  miss  it.  The  mutineers  might 
well  deem  themselves  secure  on  so  small  an  island,  so  re- 
motely situated.  At  that  time,  also,  these  seas  were  but 
little  frequented.  Even  now,  to  form  an  idea  of  their  vast 
extent,  notwithstanding  the  thousands  of  vessels  that  are 
trading  on  it,  we  have  only  seen  one  ship  at  sea,  and  our 
track  measures  4500  miles."* 

Here,  then,  was  the  asylum  sought  for  by  Christian,  far 
from  the  haunts  of  ships  and  of  men — a  rock  not  two 
leagues  in  its  greatest  extent.  Little,  however,  could  he 
have  imagined  the  beauty  of  the  interior,  the  forests  of 
palms  clothing  the  mountain  sides,  or  the  lovely  valleys 
concealed  by  those  precipices.  Round  them  he  directed 
the  course  of  the  Bounty,  to  a  bend  in  the  shore,  destined 
to  be  her  last  resting-place,  and  which  has  ever  since  borne 
the  name  of  "  Bounty  Bay." 

After  making  a  survey  of  the  island,  Christian  divided 
it  into  nine  portions,  retaining  one  for  himself,  and  distrib- 
uting the  remaining  eight  among  his  companions.  Every 
available  article  was  tben  removed  from  the  vessel,  even 
to  the  planks  from  her  sides,  the  copper  nails,  bolts,  etc., 
masts  and  sails ;  and  in  order  to  leave  no  trace  which 
might  lead  to  discovery,  they  set  fire  to  her  hull,  and  then 


*  Extract  from  a  letter  written  by  the  Secretary  of  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax 
Moresby,  K.C.B.,  dated  H.M.S.  Portland,  1852. 


THE  MUTINEERS  ON  PIT  CAIRN  ISLAND.  157 

sunk  the  remains  in  twenty-five  fathoms  water.  This 
event  took  place  January  23d,  1790. 

It  appears  that  the  demeanor  of  Christian  became  more 
changed  after  his  arrival  at  Pitcairn  than  even  after  the 
mutiny.  He  seemed  uneasy,  and  would  spend  whole  days 
in  a  cave  situated  on  a  high  ridge  of  almost  inaccessible 
rocks  at  the  farthest  extremity  of  the  island.  Here  he 
placed  a  stock  of  water  and  provisions,  and  here  possibly 
intended  to  make  his  retreat  in  the  event  of  discovery,  to 
await  his  pursuers,  and  to  defend  his  life  to  the  last.  But 
it  is  more  probable  that  he  frequently  retired  to  this  se- 
cluded spot  to  indulge  in  sad  and  bitter  reflections.  As 
he  looked  across  that  wide  expanse  of  ocean  which  the 
height  of  his  position  commanded,  a  sail  appearing  could 
be  to  him  no  welcome  sight.  In  the  wide  world  there  was 
no  being  to  whom  he  could  give  a  friendly  greeting,  or  of 
whom  he  could  inquire  for  tidings  of  home  and  of  distant 
friends.  Like  Cain,  he  was  an  outcast  amid  the  great  wil- 
derness of  water ;  but,  while  we  pity  his  misfortunes,  it  is 
impossible  either  to  forget  or  to  excuse  his  acts.  But 
changed,  morose,  and  moody  as  he  may  have  been,  Alex- 
ander Smith  (J.  Adams)  many  years  afterwards  confirmed 
Morrison's  account  of  Christian's  conduct,  "  that  he  never 
lost  the  respect  of  his  companions,"  not  even,  it  appears, 
in  the  seclusion  of  Pitcairn  Island. 

For  three  years  all  went  well  with  the  fugitives,  but 
that  inherent  propensity  in  the  white  man  to  treat  colored 
people  with  oppression  and  cruelty  manifested  itself,  and 
led  eventually  to  deplorable  consequences.  An  act  of 
Williams's  against  all  law  of  right  and  justice,  in  taking  the 
wife  of  one  of  the  Tahitians  (his  own  wife  having  been 
killed  by  a  fall  from  the  cliffs),  was  the  immediate  cause 
of  a  plot  to  murder  all  the  Englishmen.  In  vain  did  his 
companions  remonstrate  with  him  as  to  the  injustice  of  his 


158  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

conduct ;  he  threatened  to  leave  the  island  if  they  inter- 
fered, and  as  he  was  the  armorer  and  a  skillful  workman, 
they  felt  that  his  services  were  so  indispensable  that  they 
could  not  afford  to  part  with  him.  The  plot,  however, 
was  discovered  in  time  by  the  wives  of  the  white  men, 
who  informed  their  husbands  of  it  by  means  of  a  song,  to 
which  they  added  the  words, "  Why  does  black  man  sharp- 
en axe  ?""  "  To  kill  white  man."  This  plot  was  soon  suc- 
ceeded by  another,  on  which  fatal  occasion  Christian  was 
shot  dead  while  cultivating  his  garden,  and  also  four  of 
the  other  Englishmen — the  remaining  four,  including 
Smith  and  Young,  narrowly  escaping  with  their  lives. 
Smith,  indeed,  was  severely  wounded  in  the  neck,  and  as 
he  rose  up,  was  again  felled  to  the  ground  by  a  club,  but 
he  succeeded  in  his  endeavor  to  escape  down  the  rocks  to 
the  sea.  The  Tahitian  men,  however,  called  to  him  that 
his  life  should  be  spared  if  he  would  return.  He  did  so, 
and  they  kept  their  promise. 

Edward  Young  owed  his  preservation  to  the  kindness 
of  the  women,  who  placed  him  in  concealment  until  the 
fury  of  the  Tahitian  men  should  have  subsided.  Quintal 
and  M'Koy  had  escaped  to  the  mountains,  and  did  not  re- 
turn until  summoned  by  Smith  and  Young  when  peace  had 
been  apparently  restored  among  all  parties. 

The  Englishmen,  thus  reduced  in  numbers,  could  hence- 
forth feel  little  security  of  exemption  from  such  murder- 
ous attacks,  and,  from  motives  of  self-defense,  came  to  the 
terrible  determination  of  destroying  all  the  Tahitian  men. 
One  of  them  was  killed  by  the  wife  of  Edward  Young, 
who  dealt  the  deadly  blow  with  an  axe,  and,  that  the  last 
survivor  might  not  escape,  she  made  a  sign  to  her  husband 
to  fire  at  him,  which  he  did  with  fatal  precision.  The  oth- 
er Tahitian  women  were  so  horror-stricken  and  grieved  at 
the  execution  of  this  design,  and  at  the  various  deeds  of 


FATE  OF  THE  MUTINEERS.  159 

violence  they  had  witnessed,  that  although  they  were 
treated  with  additional  kindness  by  the  surviving  Eng- 
lishmen, the  greater  number  of  them  formed  a  plan  to 
leave  the  island  in  one  of  the  Bounty's  boats.  Fortunate- 
ly for  them  the  boat  was  leaky,  and  their  intention  thus 
frustrated.  Their  next  wild  project  was  to  massacre  the 
Englishmen,  who  discovered  the  plot,  but  did  not  take 
severe  measures  to  punish  these  poor  demented  creatures.  ' 

After  this,  for  a  brief  period,  the  islanders  seemed  to  be 
more  settled,  but  again  evil  principles  prevailed,  and  the 
consequences  were  violent  and  sanguinary.  M'Koy  and 
Quintal,  the  most  ignorant  and  depraved  of  the  party,  fell 
into  habits  of  intoxication.  M'Koy,  who  in  early  life  had 
been  employed  in  a  distillery  in  Scotland,  made  some  ex- 
periments with  the  Ti-root  (Draccena  terminalis),  by  turn- 
ing an  iron  kettle  into  a  still,  and  unfortunately  succeeded 
in  extracting  from  the  root  an  ardent  spirit.  From  the 
time  of  this  discovery,  they  were  both  in  a  continual  state 
of  inebriety.  M'Koy  threw  himself  from  the  rocks  in  a 
fit  of  delirium  tremens,  and  was  killed,  while  Quintal  be- 
came a  morose  and  even  alarming  companion  to  his  two 
surviving  countrymen.  There  were  no  limits  to  his  exac- 
tions, and  he  was  constantly  threatening  to  take  their  lives 
should  they  not  comply  with  his  demands.  He  thus  be- 
came so  dangerous,  that  Smith  and  Young  were  compel- 
led to  destroy  him  to  preserve  their  own  lives ;  and  thus 
terminated  the  last  scene  of  this  tragic  drama  at  Pit  cairn. 

These  two  men  were  now  the  sole  survivors  of  the  nine 
Englishmen  (and  of  all  the  colored  men)  who,  nine  years 
previously,  had  sought  concealment  and  safety  in  the  isl- 
and. Happily,  their  minds  had  not  been  irremediably 
seared  by  crime.  They  desired  to  change  the  tenor  of 
their  evil  lives,  and  to  turn  to  those  paths  of  virtue  which 
lead  to  tranquillity  and  peace.     A  Bible  and  Prayer-book, 


160  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

which  Christian  had  constantly  studied,  but  which  haa  not 
been  used  since  his  death,  were  diligently  sought  for.  The 
observance  of  daily  morning  and  evening  prayer  was 
established,  as  well  as  a  system  of  regular  instruction  for 
the  children  and  young  people,  Smith  zealously  assisting 
Young,  and  improving  his  own  slender  acquirements  by 
associating  with  a  man  of  superior  education.  Edward 
Young,  however,  did  not  long  survive  this  improved  state 
of  mind  and  feeling.  An  asthmatic  complaint,  with  which 
he  had  been  afflicted  for  several  years,  proved  fatal  to  him 
at  the  age  of  thirty-six,  and  consequently,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  year  1800,  Alexander  Smith  (John  Adams)  found 
himself  the  sole  surviving  man  on  the  island  ;  and  the  only 
guardian  and  teacher  of  a  community  of  helpless  women 
and  young  children.* 

"  Where  are  they  now,  the  infuriated  band 

Whose  outraged  feelings  urged  them  on  to  crime? 
ProscriVd  they  wandered  on  from  land  to  land, 
To  Pitcairn  came,  and  perished  in  their  prime. 

What  need  I  tell  their  hapless  leader's  fate 

(Slain  by  the  hand  of  one  he  deemed  his  slave), 

Save  to  the  rash,  I  would  this  fact  relate — 

Nor  stone,  nor  marble,  marks  his  unknown  grave,  "t 

.but  a  brighter  prospect  was  to  dawn  on  the  future  condi- 
tion of  the  island — one  which  would  consign  to  the  fading 
memories  of  the  past  the  recollection  of  those  dark  deeds 
which  had  sullied  the  early  annals  of  this  little  colony. 

*  So  desirous  was  Adams  to  act  according  to  the  ordinances  of  the  Old 
Testament,  as  well  as  those  prescribed  by  the  New  Testament,  and  by  the 
Liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England,  that  he  at  first  taught  the  observance 
of  all  the  Jewish  fasts  and  festivals,  but  was  afterwards  persuaded  to  dis- 
continue them,  as  unnecessary  under  the  Christian  dispensation. 

f  The  above  lines  on  the  death  of  Fletcher  Christian  and  his  followers 
are  from  the  pen  of  a  friend,  and  pastor  of  the  Pitcairn  colony,  whose  val- 
uable services  will  be  prominent  in  the  future  pages  of  this  volume. 


DISCOVERY  OF  THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  MUTINEERS.    161 


CHAPTER  II. 

Discovery  of  the  Ketreat  of  the  Mutineers. — Visits  of  Captain  Folger  and 
others. — Arrival  of  John  Buffett. — John  Evans. — G.  H.  Nobbs. — Death 
of  John  Adams. 

Twenty  years  had  elapsed  before  the  mystery  which 
had  hung  over  the  fate  of  the  Bounty  and  the  mutineers 
became  gradually  revealed.  The  first  gleam  of  light  on 
this  subject  appeared  in  the  log-book  of  May  hew  Folger, 
the  master  of  an  American  ship,  named  the  Topaz,  and 
dated  September,  1808.* 

The  Topaz  was  short  of  water,  and  approaching  a  rocky 
island  laid  down  in  her  chart  as  lat.  25°  4'  south,  long. 
130°  25'  west,  the  attention  of  the  master  was  attracted 
by  seeing  smoke  rising  from  it,  besides  other  signs  of  hab- 
itation. The  shore,  on  which  a  tremendous  surf  was 
breaking,  appeared  inaccessible,  but  a  canoe  was  presently 
to  be  seen  approaching  from  it,  and  soon,  to  the  great  as- 
tonishment of  all  on  board,  they  were  hailed  by  the  occu- 
pants in  good  English,  with  offers  of  assistance  if  any  of 
her  people  desired  to  land.  The  captain  declined  doing 
so,  but  one  of  the  sailors,  an  Englishman,  volunteered  to 
go  in  the  canoe,  provided  the  ship  stood  in  sufficiently 
near  to  the  land,  that  he  might  swim  back  to  her  in  case 
of  being  attacked. 

This  adventure  was  followed  by  another  strange  discov- 
ery.    The  first  person  by  whom  he  was  accosted  on  land- 


*  Forwarded  to  the  Admiralty  by  Sir  Sydney  Smith,  on  the  authority  of 
Lieutenant  Fitzmaurice,  then  at  Valparaiso. 


162  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY 

ing  was  a  man  who  called  himself  Alexander  Smith,  tell- 
ing him  that  he  was  one  of  the  crew  of  the  Bounty,  and 
the  only  survivor  of  the  party  of  nine  Englishmen  who 
had  left  Tahiti  in  her;  that  some  of  the  children  of  the 
mutineers  were  now  grown  men  and  women,  and  that,  in- 
cluding himself,  the  population  of  Pitcairn  Island  amount- 
ed to  thirty-five  persons,  of  whom  he  had  been  for  many 
years  the  sole  guardian  and  instructor.  With  this  unex- 
pected piece  of  intelligence  the  sailor  returned  to  his  ship, 
and  Captain  Folger  landed  immediately.  Smith  gave  him 
a  short  account  of  the  feuds  among  his  companions  and 
the  Tahitian  men  and  women  they  had  brought  with 
them,  ending  in  the  violent  deaths  of  so  many ;  that  only 
Edward  Young  (the  midshipman)  had  died  a  natural 
death.  Smith,  in  return,  eagerly  inquired  as  to  the  course 
of  events  during  the  twenty  years  of  his  seclusion  from 
the  world.  Captain  Folger  gave  him  a  rapid  sketch  of 
the  breaking  out  of  the  French  Revolution,  of  the  progress 
of  the  war,  and  of  the  glorious  series  of  naval  victories 
achieved  by  England  which  had  ensued — the  Nile,  Trafal- 
gar, etc.,  on  hearing  which  Smith  was  unable  to  restrain 
his  enthusiasm,  and,  throwing  up  his  cap,  gave  a  loud 
hurrah,  exclaiming,  "  Old  England  forever !" 

Captain  Folger  reports  this  extraordinary  discovery  in 
a  letter,  concluding  with  many  encomiums  on  Smith  for 
his  excellent  moral  and  religious  training  of  the  little  com- 
munity ;  and  it  was  accompanied  by  the  chronometer*  and 

*  This  chronometer  had  been  twice  carried  out  by  Captain  Cook  on  his 
voyages  of  discovery.  It  was  supplied  to  Lieutenant  Bligh  when  fitting 
out  the  Bounty,  and  the  mutineers  carried  it  with  them  to  Pitcairn  Island. 
Captain  Folger  stated  that  it  was  taken  from  him  by  the  Governor  of  Juan 
Fernandez  in  1808,  then  sold  in  Chili  to  A.  Caldeleugh,  Esq.,  of  Val- 
paraiso, and  purchased  by  Captain  (afterwards  Admiral)  Sir  T.  Herbert 
for  fifty  guineas.  That  officer  took  it  to  China  with  him  in  the  Calliope, 
and  in  1843  brought  it  to  England.     He  transmitted  it  to  the  Admiralty, 


VISIT  OF  CAPTAINS  STAINES  AND  P1P0N  163 

azimuth  compass  of  the  Bounty,  presented  to  him  by  ] 
Smith.  The  arrival  of  this  unexpected  intelligence  in  ! 
England  reawakened  public  curiosity,  and  the  newspapers 
and  periodicals  teemed  with  the  story,  forming,  as  it  does, 
an  interesting  episode  in  English  naval  history.  Again, 
however,  public  interest  in  it  subsided.  No  further  steps 
were  taken  to  communicate  with  the  newly-discovered 
colony,  as  our  ships  of  war  were  fully  occupied  in  cruis- 
ing, in  convoying  fleets  of  merchantmen,  and  in  blockading 
the  enemy's  ports. 

At  length,  and  again  by  mere  accident,  Pitcairn  was 
visited  by  two  frigates — the  Briton,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Sir  F.  Staines,  and  the  Tagus,  by  Captain  Pipon,  who 
were  in  search  of  an  American  ship,  the  Essex,  which  had 
been  seizing  some  English  whalers.  They  were  on  their 
way  to  Valparaiso,  from  the  Marquesas  Islands,  when  they 
suddenly  came  in  sight  of  an  island  which  was  not  laid 
down  in  their  charts;  for  Pitcairn  was  nearly  two  hun- 
dred miles  distant,  according  to  their  reckoning.  It  was 
evening  when  the  island  was  first  seen,  and  they  deferred 
a  nearer  inspection  until  daylight,  as  it  seemed  to  them  in 
all  probability  a  new  discovery. 

Those  on  the  island  had  observed  the  approaching 
strangers,  and  when  at  day-break  the  order  was  given  to 
stand  in  for  the  land,  the  sailors  perceived  a  number  of  in- 
habitants who  had  assembled  on  the  rocks  to  watch  their 
proceedings.  Very  soon  two  men  were  seen  rapidly  de- 
scending to  the  shore,  with  canoes  on  their  shoulders. 
One  of  these   canoes   was  boldly  launched   among  the 


who  presented  it  to  the  United  Service  Museum,  in  Great  Scotland  Yard, 
London.  It  was  known  to  have  belonged  to  the  Bounty  by  the  name  of 
Kendall,  the  maker,  being  on  it ;  and  in  further  proof  of  the  authenticity 
of  Folger's  statement,  the  name  of  Alexander  Smith  was  found  on  the  list 
at  the  Admiralty  of  the  ship's  company  of  the  Bounty. 


164  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

breakers,  and  then  dexterously  paddled  through  the  surf 
alongside  of  the  Briton.  "Won't  you  heave  us  a  rope 
now  ?"  was  the  request  from  the  canoe,  and  a  rope  being 
thrown  out  immediately,  a  fine  young  man  sprang  active- 
ly on  the  deck.  His  athletic  figure  was  quaintly  attired 
in  a  vest  without  sleeves,  and  trowsers  to  the  knee ;  and 
he  wore  a  hat  jauntily  decked  with  black-cocks'  feathers. 
He  answered  the  question,  "Who  are  you?"  with  an  in- 
genuous frankness:  "I  am  Thursday  October  Christian, 
son  of  Fletcher  Christian,  the  mutineer,  by  a  Tahitian 
mother,  and  the  first  born  on  this  island." 

The  handsome  youth  who  accompanied  him  was  Ed- 
ward Young,  son  of  the  midshipman  of  that  name  in  the 
Bounty,  and  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  Thursday  Octo- 
ber Christian  was,  of  course,  so  named  from  the  day  and 
month  of  his  birth.  He  had  attained  the  age  of  twenty- 
four,  and  was  married  to  Susannah,*  widow  of  Edward 
Young,  and  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  the  Tahitian  wom- 
en who  had  sailed  in  the  Bounty  to  Pitcairn.  Here,  then, 
at  length,  was  Pitcairn  Island,  the  asylum  of  the  mutineers ! 
They  as  well  as  Folger  had  approached  it  unexpectedly ; 
for  Captain  Carteret,  who,  as  we  have  said,  discovered  the 
island  in  1 767,f  na<i  placed  it  on  the  chart  three  degrees 
out  of  its  true  longitude. 

The  robust  appearance  and  height  of  the  two  young 
men,  especially  those  of  Thursday  October  Christian,^  were 

*  She  died  in  1850,  and  was  then  the  sole  survivor  of  the  original  party. 

t  He  named  it  ' '  Pitcairn "  after  the  young  midshipman  who  descried 
it  from  the  mast-head  of  his  ship  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  miles.  This 
youth,  the  son  of  Major  Pitcairn,  of  the  Marines  (killed  at  the  battle  of 
Bunker's  Hill),  was  himself  lost  in  the  Aurora  frigate. 

%  In  this  he  must  now  have  closely  resembled  his  father,  Fletcher  Chris- 
tian, who,  according  to  Peter  Heywood's  description,  had  a  bright,  pleas- 
ing countenance,  and  tall,  commanding  figure,  well  adapted  to  those  feats 
of  strength  and  agility  which  he  so  frequently  exhibited  on  the  passage 
out  to  Tahiti. 


THURSDAY  CHRISTIAN  AND  EDWARD   TO  UNO.       165 

very  striking.  His  jet-black  hair  flowed  down  his  shoul- 
ders, and  although  his  complexion  was  dark,  and  much 
tanned  from  exposure,  in  neither  Young  nor  himself  was 
there  the  red  tinge  of  skin  so  common  among  the  Pacific 
Islanders.  The  deportment  of  the  young  men,  their  whole 
bearing,  and  their  natural  easy  manners,  which  were  as 
much  removed  from  undue  familiarity  as  from  all  conven- 
tional shyness  and  restraint,  interested  every  one  on  board. 
Sir  Thomas  Staines  himself  conducted  them  over  the  ship, 
where  every  object  was  new  and  wonderful  in  their  esti- 
mation. The  sight  of  a  cow  seemed  not  only  to  astonish 
but  to  alarm  them — they  seemed  to  think  it  a  large  goat — 
while  a  little  black  terrier  excited  their  warm  admiration. 
"I  know  that  is  a  dog,"  exclaimed  Edward  Young,  naive- 
ly. "  I  have  read  of  such  things."  Although  strangers  to 
mechanical  contrivances,  and  to  most  of  the  useful  arts  of 
civilized  life,  they  displayed  an  intelligent  appreciation  of 
every  thing  they  saw,  and  were  eager  for  information  on 
all  subjects  connected  with  the  ship.  At  the  close  of  this 
singular  and  interesting  visit,  Sir  T.  Staines  ordered  re- 
freshments to  be  prepared  in  his  own  cabin ;  but  before 
sitting  down,  they  devoutly  folded  their  hands  and  re- 
peated the  usual  short  grace,  a  blessing  upon  the  food  of 
which  they  were  about  to  partake,  and  at  the  conclu-1 
sion  of  the  repast  repeated  another,  which  they  said  had 
been  taught  them  by  their  revered  pastor,  John  Adams.* 
Strange,  indeed,  it  must  have  been  to  witness  the  simple 
earnest  piety  of  these  young  Christians,  living  so  far  from 
all  civilized  lands,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  islands  whose 
people  were  sunk  in  heathen  barbarism  and  ignorance, 
and  some  of  them  even  addicted  to  cannibalism. 


*  After  the  visit  of  Captain  Folger,  Alexander  Smith  had  changed  his 
name  to  John  Adams,  to  avoid  recognition. 


166  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

As  Christian  and  Young  entreated  their  hosts  to  ac- 
company them  on  shore  to  see  their  pastor  and  teacher, 
Adams,  Sir  T.  Staines  and  Captain  Pipon  placed  them- 
selves under  the  guidance  of  the  young  islanders,  whose 
skill  carried  them  safely  through  the  surf  and  past  the 
rocks  to  the  landing-place.  It  required  no  small  exertion 
to  get  on  shore  and  up  the  steep  ascent  to  the  village, 
where  Adams,  his  blind  wife,  and  the  whole  community 
stood  ready  to  receive  them.  Having  ascertained  that 
the  strangers  intended  no  harm  to  their  beloved  father — 
as  the  islanders  termed  Adams — they  willingly  assented 
to  his  conducting  the  captains  to  his  house. 

The  old  man  (Adams)  stood  with  his  hat  in  his  hand 
while  conversing  with  them,  and  smoothed  his  scanty 
locks  according  to  the  fashion  of  sailors  of  the  olden  time. 
Although  little  more  than  fifty,  and  very  healthy  and  ro- 
bust in  appearance,  his  countenance  was  aged  and  worn, 
betraying  marks  of  anxious  thought.  If  the  sight  of  the 
well-known  naval  uniform,  and  the  consciousness  that  the 
two  officers  must  view  him  as  a  man  amenable  to  the 
laws  of  his  country,  awakened  any  painful  feelings  in  the 
sailor's  mind,  in  neither  his  manner  nor  his  conversation 
did  he  evince  any.  Many  years  had  passed  away,  and  he 
felt,  perhaps,  how  sincere  had  been  his  repentance ;  perhaps 
also  he  took  courage  in  believing  that  the  fruits  of  it,  as 
shown  in  his  after-life,  might  be  accepted  at  a  higher  tri- 
bunal than  that  of  man.  He  frankly  disclosed  all  the  ter- 
rible circumstances  which  had  occurred,  although  he  de- 
nied being  accessory  to,  or  having  had  previous  knowl- 
edge of  the  mutiny.  But  he  expressed  great  disapproba- 
tion of  the  conduct  of  Captain  Bligh,  not  only  towards  the 
men,  but  also  towards  the  officers. 

"  I  asked  him,"  writes  Captain  Pipon,  "  if  he  had  any 
desire  to  return  to  England,  and  I  must  confess  his  reply- 


JOHN  ADAMS.  167 

ing  in  the  affirmative  caused  me  great  surprise.  He  told 
me  he  was  perfectly  aware  how  deeply  he  was  involved ; 
that  by  following  the  fortunes  of  Christian  he  had  not 
only  sacrificed  every  claim  to  his  country,  but  that  his 
life  was  a  necessary  forfeit  for  such  an  act,  which  he  sup- 
posed would  be  exacted  from  him  were  he  ever  to  return. 
Notwithstanding  all  these  circumstances,  'nothing,'  he 
said,  'would  give  him  so  much  gratification  as  to  see 
once  more  before  he  died  that  country  which  gave  him 
birth,  and  from  which  he  had  been  so  long  estranged.' 
There  was  a  sincerity  in  his  speech,"  continues  Captain 
Pipon, "  which  I  can  hardly  describe,  but  it  had  a  power- 
ful influence  in  persuading  me  these  were  his  real  senti- 
ments. My  interest  was  excited  to  so  great  a  degree  that 
I  offered  him  a  passage  for  himself,  with  any  of  his  family 
who  chose  to  accompany  him.  He  appeared  pleased  at 
the  proposal,  and  as  no  one  was  then  present,  he  sent  for 
his  wife  and  children,  while  the  rest  of  the  community  sur- 
rounded the  door.  He  communicated  his  desire  to  them, 
and  requested  their  acquiescence.  Appalled  at  such  a 
proposal,  no  less  sudden  than  in  opposition  to  their  wishes, 
they  were  all  at  a  loss  for  a  reply.  His  charming  daugh- 
ter, although  overwhelmed  with  tears,  first  broke  the  si- 
lence. '  Oh !  do  not,  sirs,'  said  she,  '  take  from  me  my 
father ;  do  not  take  away  my  best,  my  dearest  friend !' 
Her  voice  failed  her;  she  was  unable  to  proceed.  She 
leaned  her  head  on  her  hand,  and  gave  full  vent  to  her 
grief.  His  wife  also  (a  Tahitian  woman)  expressed  the 
most  lively  sorrow." 

The  wishes  of  Adams  soon  became  known  among  the 
others,  who  joined  in  pathetic  solicitations  for  his  stay  in 
the  island.  Not  an  eye  was  dry ;  tears  even  stood  in 
those  of  the  men,  and  the  women  wept  bitterly. 

"  I  never  witnessed  a  scene  so  truly  affecting,  or  more 


168  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

replete  with  interest,"  wrote  Captain  Pipon.  "  To  have 
taken  him  from  a  circle  of  such  friends  would  have  ill  be- 
come a  feeling  heart.  To  have  forced  him  away  in  oppo- 
sition to  their  joint  and  earnest  entreaties  would  have 
been  an  outrage  on  humanity."  An  assurance  that  no 
such  design  was  meditated  soon  restored  tranquillity  to 
the  community — a  community  pledged  to  each  other  by 
the  tenderest  connections,  consanguinity  and  reciprocal 
affection. 

When  Adams  was  questioned  as  to  the  mutiny,  and  the 
events  which  took  place  on  board  the  Bounty  after  the 
mutineers  had  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  officers  and 
crew,  and  had  left  Tahiti,  he  seemed  averse  to  say  more 
than  his  guests  already  knew  concerning  the  tragical 
events  which  occurred  soon  after  the  first  settlement  at 
Pitcairn.  As  the  recollection  seemed  to  give  him  much 
pain,  they  forbore  to  press  him  on  the  subject,  especially 
finding  themselves  surrounded  by  so  many  young  people, 
who  were  probably  ignorant  of  the  extent  of  the  crimes 
and  sufferings  of  their  forefathers. 

Impressed  as  the  officers  were  with  the  moral  aspect  of 
the  community,  they  were  not  less  struck  with  the  natu- 
ral beauty  of  their  island  home,  which  was  truly  a  "  gar- 
den of  Eden."  Its  lofty  mountains  towered  to  a  height 
of  1008  feet  above,  the  level  of  the  ocean,  and  around  their 
craggy  pinnacles  myriads  of  sea-birds  wheeled  in  mazy 
circles.  Groves  of  palm  and  cocoa-nut  trees — and  espe- 
cially the  beautiful  bread-fruit  tree,  the  staff  of  life  to  the 
islanders — clothed  the  bare  rocks  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  In  the  deep  valleys  flourished  in  profusion  most  of 
the  tropical  fruits,  among  which  were  the  Taro-root,  from 
which  bread  could  be  made,  the  Ti-plant  (Dracaena  termi- 
nalis)  and  other  valuable  edible  productions.  The  cli- 
mate, also,  would  admit  with  care  of  the  cultivation  of 


THE  PITOAIRN  VILLAGE.  169 

European  fruits  and  vegetables,  as  the  range  of  the  tem- 
perature was  from  76°  to  80°  in  summer,  and  seldom  fell 
below  59°  in  winter. 

No  feathered  songsters,  however,  enlivened  these  for- 
ests, with  the  exception  of  one  small  species  of  fly-catch- 
er; but  in  after  years  this  want  was  supplied  by  an  im- 
portation of  little  warblers  taken  there  by  Captain  Pre- 
vost,  in  the  Virago,  from  Valparaiso.  He  introduced  also 
a  variety  of  roses  and  myrtles. 

In  the  midst  of  this  beautiful  scenery,  and  beneath  the 
banana,  the  plantain,  and  the  wide-spreading  banyan, 
stood  the  pretty  village  of  Pitcairn,  on  an  elevated  plat- 
form of  rock.  The  several  houses  surrounded  a  large 
grassy  square,  securely  guarded  by  palisades,  to  preserve 
it  from  the  depredations  of  the  poultry,  hogs,  and  goats, 
which  were  allowed  to  roam  at  liberty  about  the  island. 
On  one  side  of  the  square  stood  the  house  of  Smith  {alias 
Adams);  on  another,  that  of  Thursday  October  Christian. 
These,  and  all  the  little  dwellings  which  clustered  around 
them,  were  formed  of  wood,  had  generally  two  stories,  and 
were  substantially  constructed.  Their  internal  arrange- 
ments bespoke  great  cleanliness  and  comfort,  and  the  beds 
and  bedding  were  remarkably  neat.  European  habits 
were  visible  in  the  farming  arrangements,  as  each  dwell- 
ing had  a  pen  for  fattening  hogs,  another  for  fowls,  a  bak- 
ery, and  a  building  for  the  manufacture  of  cloth.  The 
linen  was  made  of  the  bark  of  the  paper*  mulberry-tree, 
macerated  in  water,  and  then  beaten  out  to  the  desired 
thickness  by  large  pieces  of  wood.*      This  manufacture 

*  "There  were  three  varieties  of  cloth,  obtained  respectively  from  the 
paper-mulberry  (which  was  the  best),  the  bread-fruit  tree,  and  a  kind  of 
fig ;  this  last,  though  less  ornamental,  was  more  useful  than  the  others, 
because  it  resisted  water,  which  they  did  not.  All  three  kinds  were  made 
in  the  same  way." — Ellis's  Polynesian  Researches. 

8 


170  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

formed  the  employment  of  the  elder  women,  the  younger 
working  with  their  fathers  and  brothers  in  the  plantations, 
cultivating  yams  and  sweet  potatoes.  Adams  on  this  ac- 
count discouraged  very  early  marriages,  as  the  girls  would 
then  necessarily  be  occupied  with  the  care  of  their  chil- 
dren, and  he  inculcated  among  the  young  men  the  neces- 
sity of  having  made  some  previous  provision  for  a  family 
before  entering  into  a  matrimonial  engagement. 

"  If,"  says  Captain  Pipon,  "  we  remarked  with  much  ad- 
miration the  fine  athletic  young  men  around  us,  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  women  was  equally  pleasing,  some  really 
handsome,  and  one  and  all  well-grown  and  finely  formed, 
much  owing,  probably,  to  the  mountainous  nature  of  the 
island,  and  the  habit  from  infancy  of  ascending  and  de- 
scending the  rocks  with  great  weights  on  their  shoul- 
ders." Both  sexes  were  also  expert  swimmers.  The 
women's  dress  was  composed  of  a  loose  bodice,  with  a 
drapery  reaching  to  the  ankles,  and  so  disposed  as  to 
show  the  symmetry  of  their  persons,  not  unlike  (it  has 
been  said)  the  robes  of  the  Hindostanee  women,  and  worn 
as  gracefully.  Teeth  like  ivory  characterized  both  men 
and  women,  and  the  latter  wore  their  long  black  hair 
neatly  braided  into  a  knot  at  the  back  of  the  head,  with- 
out pin  or  fastening  of  any  kind  j  and  a  wreath  ingenious- 
ly worked  of  the  sweet-scented  nono-tree  (Morinda  cilrifo- 
lia),  sometimes  intertwined  with  others  of  a  brighter  hue,* 
completed  their  toilet. 

Far,  however,  beyond  their  personal  grace  was  their 
modesty  and  gentle  behavior,  and  Adams  assured  Sir  T. 
Staines  of  their  excellent  conduct.  Each  person  consid- 
ered whatever  he  possessed  was  for  the  general  good,  so 

*  The  author  has  for  many  years  preserved  some  of  these  wreaths, 
which,  by  the  exclusion  of  the  air  have,  in  a  great  measure,  retained  their 
color. 


AN  ALARM.  171 

that  there  was  no  difficulty  in  settling  disputes;  and  if 
hasty  words  were  ever  uttered,  the  offender  was  but  too 
ready  to  make  ample  amends  to  the  injured  party. 

Adams  mentioned  that  since  the  visit  of  Captain  Folger 
no  other  ship  had  touched  at  the  island,  with  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  inhabitants,  previous  to  the  present  visit. 
Once,  however,  they  had  been  greatly  alarmed  by  the 
sight  of  two  vessels,  apparently  standing  in  for  the  island, 
and  a  party  from  one  must  have  landed  unobserved  in 
search  of  cocoa-nuts ;  for  as  young  Matthew  Quintal  was 
descending  the  rocks  he  perceived  a  large  clasp-knife  ly- 
ing among  a  number  of  broken  cocoa-nut  shells.  The  vis- 
itors were  probably  quite  unaware  of  the  existence  of  any 
inhabitants.  Quintal  rushed  back  to  the  village  in  great 
alarm,  and  said  he  felt  like  Robinson  Crusoe  when  he  saw 
the  print  of  a  human  foot  on  the  sand ;  but  happily  the 
_cause  of  alarm  was  quickly  removed,  as  they  saw  the  two 
ships  in  tke  offing  fast  receding  from  sight.* 

At  length  it  was  necessary  to  bid  these  interesting  peo- 
ple farewell,  and  the  commanders  of  the  frigates  assured 
them  that  they  would  represent  to  the  Government  the 
admirable  state  of  the  community,  and  that  the  authorities 
wTould  certainly  not  feel  justified  in  attempting  to  remove 
their  honored  pastor  and  instructor,  Adams.  Under  the 
skillful  guidance  of  Christian  and  Young,  who  had  brought 
them  on  shore,  the  visitors  returned  to  their  ship.  There 
a  liberal  supply  of  articles  necessary  for  the  comfort  of  the 
islanders,  which  they  were  otherwise  unable  to  obtain,  was 
placed  in  the  canoe,  and,  with  warm  adieux  on  all  sides, 
the  young  men  returned  to  their  expectant  friends,  and 
the  ships  continued  their  voyage  to  Valparaiso. 

*  Adams,  wishing  his  flock  to  remain  as  long  as  possible  in  ignorance 
of  the  outer  world,  allowed  them  to  imagine  that  the  objects  they  had  seen 
on  the  water  had  come  through  a  hole  in  the  horizon  where  the  sun  rose. 


172  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

The  letters  which  Sir  T.  Staines  and  Captain  Pipon  ad- 
dressed to  the  Admiralty  produced  no  results,  that  Board 
finding  more  important  occupation  in  vigorously  prose- 
cuting the  war.  And  thus  again,  for  some  years,  Pitcairn 
Island  fell  out  of  public  notice. 

At  length  a  whale-ship,  in  want  of  water  and  provisions, 
happened  to  touch  at  Pitcairn,  and  one  of  her  crew  named 
John  Buffett,  a  man  of  an  earnest  turn  of  mind,  and  some 
amount  of  education,  was  so  impressed  with  the  admirable 
character  of  the  little  community  that  he  requested  per- 
mission to  remain  and  assist  Adams  in  his  onerous  duties, 
and  at  all  events  relieve  him  from  those  of  school-master. 
This  proposition  was  gladly  accepted  by  the  pastor  and 
his  flock,  and  Buffett  was  duly  installed  as  their  preceptor, 
his  captain  willingly  giving  him  his  discharge  for  that  pur- 
pose. Up  to  that  period  John  Buffett's  life  had  been  full 
of  adventure.  He  was  born  in  1797,  at  a  village  near 
Bristol,  and  was  apprenticed  at  an  early  age  to  a  cabinet- 
maker, but,  preferring  a  sea-faring  life,  he  joined  a  small 
Newfoundland  trader.  While  still  a  youth,  he  entered 
the  American  merchant-service,  and  was  wrecked  in  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Most  of  the  crew  perished,  but 
with  incredible  difficulty  he  and  a  few  others  saved  them- 
selves in  the  pinnace  of  the  vessel,  and  after  much  priva- 
tion were  picked  up  by  some  Canadian  fishermen.  Buf- 
fett still  continued  in  the  American  service,  was  again  ship- 
wrecked, and  again  with  much  difficulty  rescued  from  a 
watery  grave.  In  1821  he  returned  to  London,  went  on 
board  an  English  vessel  bound  for  China ;  from  whence  he 
proceeded  to  Manilla,  and  afterwards  to  California,  where 
he  remained  some  months,  and  then  joining  an  English 
whaler  on  a  homeward  voyage,  he  was  left  by  her  at  Pit- 
cairn, where,  after  so  many  vicissitudes,  the  young  wanderer 
found  at  last  a  congenial  occupation  and  a  peaceful  home. 


BUFFETT— EVANS.— CAPTAIN  BEECHEY' S  VISIT.      173 

Not  many  years  elapsed  before  another  sea-faring  man, 
John  Evans,  a  sailor  on  board  of  some  unknown  vessel,  and 
the  son  of  a  coach-maker  in  Long  Acre,  requested  permis- 
sion to  remain  as  a  member  of  the  community,  and  being, 
like  Buffett,  a  worthy  and  an  educated  man,  Adams  gladly 
accepted  his  services.  Each  eventually  married  a  Pitcairn 
girl,  and  thus  two  other  names  were  included  in  the  roll 
of  the  inhabitants. 

In  the  year  1825  the  Blossom,  Captain  Beechey,  which 
had  been  fitted  out  for  a  voyage  of  discovery,  touched  at 
the  island,  and  the  unusual  sight  of  a  man-of-war  occasion- 
ed some  uneasiness  there,  especially  in  the  mind  of  Buffett, 
who  had  first  observed  her  pennant.  However,  Adams 
and  some  of  the  young  islanders  put  off  in  a  boat  to  wel- 
come another  of  His  Majesty's  ships,  and  Captain  Beechey, 
with  two  of  his  boats,  accompanied  them  on  shore,  where 
they  were  cordially  received.  Their  residence  of  three 
weeks  confirmed  the  statements  of  former  visitors,  and  as 
Captain  Beechey  and  his  party  were  entertained  in  turn 
at  the  different  houses,  he  had  ample  opportunity  for  gain- 
ing information  and  noticing  the  proceedings  of  the  island- 
ers. Sunday  was  observed  with  remarkable  strictness, 
and  there  were  altogether  five  services  in  the  day.  All 
preparation  for  their  meals  was  made  the  day  before,  that 
there  might  be  no  undue  work  on  the  Sabbath.  Their 
fare  was  simple  and  wholesome,  consisting  of  pork  or  fowl 
— baked  between  stones,  according  to  the  Tahitian  fashion 
— vegetables,  and  bread  or  pudding  made  of  the  Taro-root, 
and  abundance  of  bread-fruit.  Their  drink  was  water,  or 
an  infusion  of  Ti-root  flavored  with  ginger,  and  sweeten- 
ed with  sugar-cane.  After  the  fatal  experiment  made  by 
Quintal  and  M'Koy  of  extracting  an  ardent  spirit  from 
this  root,  Adams  determined  never  to  taste  spirituous  liq- 
uors himself,  and  strictly  enjoined  the  observance  of  the 


174        THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

same  rule  on  the  islanders,  prohibiting  all  attempts  at  dis- 
tillatioo. 

The  worthy  pastor  spent  a  few  days  on  board  the  Blos- 
som, a  guest  in  the  captain's  cabin,  who  writes  that  "  the 
old  man  never  failed  to  rise  early  in  the  morning  to  per- 
form his  devotions  in  some  retired  corner,  nor  did  he  neg- 
lect the  same  duty  before  retiring  to  rest  at  night." 

At  this  period  there  seemed  no  scarcity  of  water  on  the 
island,  the  mutineers  on  their  first  arrival  having  cut  large 
tanks  in  the  rocks,  and  the  number  having  subsequently 
been  increased.  The  only  natural  supply  was  a  small 
stream  which  fell  from  the  precipitous  rocks  at  one  end  of 
the  island.  Captain  Beechey,  however,  foresaw  the  results 
to  which  this  state  of  things  would  lead,  and  memorial- 
ized the  Admiralty  to  the  effect  that,  as  the  population 
increased,  there  would  be  a  scarcity  of  water  and  food,  as 
the  island  was  only  four  miles  and  a  half  in  circumference, 
and  therefore  much  restricted  in  ground  for  cultivation. 

In  the  course  of  conversation  with  Adams,  and  before 
taking  a  final  leave,  Captain  Beechey  pressed  him  on  the 
subject  of  the  mutiny.  He  denied  all  complicity  in  it ;  it 
seemed,  indeed,  to  have  passed  from  his  memory  that  he 
was  actually  the  third  man  on  deck  when  the  seizure  of 
the  ship  took  place.  On  another  point  he  was  also  singu- 
larly inaccurate ;  that  of  accusing  young  Stewart  of  advis- 
ing Christian,  his  superior  officer,  to  take  the  vessel.  In 
the  confusion  which  must  have  ensued  on  such  an  event, 
he  could  not  have  known  what  passed  between  Christian 
and  Stewart  when  the  latter  went  down  to  summon  Chris- 
tian to  take  the  watch,  and  must  either  have  forgotten,  or 
never  heard,  that  Christian  had  taken  upon  himself  the 
blame  of  originating  the  mutiny,*  although,  after  the  fatal 

*  See  chap,  iii.,  foot-note,  p.  56. 


GEORGE  H.  NOBB&  175 

step,  so  many  had  entered  actively  into  the  plan.  Up  to 
this  period  of  time  Adams  had  invariably  evaded  all  in- 
quiries as  to  the  burial-place  of  Fletcher  Christian,  alleg- 
ing his  utter  ignorance  of  the  spot ;  a  statement  which  had 
given  rise  to  many  rumors  and  conjectures.*  However, 
the  question  being  put  direct  by  Captain  Beechey,  he  an- 
swered that  "  Christian  had  been  buried  in  his  own  gar- 
den." 

The  year  1828  was  marked  in  the  annals  of  the  island 
by  the  arrival  of  a  third  sea-faring  man,  George  Hunn 
Nobbs.  Glad  to  escape  all  the  toils,  sufferings,  and  dan- 
gers to  which  he  had  been  exposed  for  many  years  of  his 
life,  he  wished,  with  the  permission  of  the  islanders,  to  seek 
a  sphere  of  quiet  usefulness  among  them.  For  some  years 
he  had  formed  a  desire  to  settle  at  Pitcairn  Island,  but 
found  many  difficulties  in  the  way  of  obtaining  funds  for 
the  voyage  thither.     He  entered  himself  as  mate  on  board 

*  About  the  year  1809,  a  report  prevailed  in  Cumberland,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  native  place,  and  was  current  for  several  years,  that  Chris- 
tian had  returned  home,  and  that  he  had  lived  and  died  in  concealment  in 
England ;  an  assumption  so  utterly  inconsistent  with  facts  related  in  the 
last  chapter  as  to  be  considered  impossible.  In  the  same  year,  however, 
a  singular  incident  occurred.  Captain  Heywood,  who  was  fitting  out  at 
Plymouth,  happened  one  day  to  pass  down  Fore  Street,  when  a  man  of 
unusual  stature,  very  much  muffled,  and  with  his  hat  drawn  close  over  his 
eyes,  emerged  suddenly  from  a  small  side  street,  and  walked  quickly  past 
him.  The  height,  athletic  figure,  and  gait,  so  impressed  him  as  being 
that  of  Fletcher  Christian,  that,  quickening  his  pace  till  he  came  up  with 
the  stranger,  he  said,  in  a  tone  of  voice  only  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by 
him,  ' '  Fletcher  Christian ! "  The  man  turned  quickly  round  and  faced 
his  interrogator,  but  little  of  his  countenance  Avas  visible,  and  darting  up 
one  of  the  small  streets,  he  vanished  from  his  sight.  Captain  Heywood 
hesitated  for  a  moment,  but  decided  on  giving  up  the  pursuit,  and  on  not 
instituting  any  inquiries.  Any  recognition  would  have  been  painful  as 
well  as  dangerous  to  Christian,  and  it  also  seemed  scarcely  within  the 
bounds  of  probability  that  he  should  be  in  England.  Remarkable  as  was 
this  occurrence,  Captain  Heywood  attached  no  importance  to  it,  simply 
considering  it  a  singular  coincidence. 


176  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

a  vessel  bound  to  Sierra  Leone  and  back,  then  went  to 
Calcutta,  where  he  left  his  vessel,  and  proceeded  in  another 
to  the  Cape,  hoping  to  procure  a  passage  to  Pitcairn  by- 
one  of  the  numerous  whale-ships  which  were  in  the  habit 
of  calling  there  for  supplies ;  but  he  was  taken  ill,  and  un- 
able to  move  for  some  time. 

As  no  opportunity  offered,  he  crossed  to  Valparaiso,  and 
finding  no  prospect  there  of  recruiting  his  exhausted 
finances,  he  went  as  mate  of  a  vessel  to  Callao.  There  he 
became  acquainted  with  a  man  named  Bunker,  who  had 
been  master  of  a  merchant  bark,  and  was  then  proprietor 
of  a  launch  of  eighteen  tons  burden.  The  health  of  .Bun- 
ker was  so  impaired,  and  his  circumstances  so  reduced,  that 
he  could  not  fit  her  out.  Mr.  Nobbs  therefore  undertook 
the  task,  on  the  understanding  that  he  was  to  become  part 
proprietor,  and  that  Bunker  should  accompany  him  on  the 
voyage  to  Pitcairn.  He  spent  the  little  money  he  possess- 
ed in  fitting  out  the  vessel,  and  the  two  men  embarked 
alone  on  this  voyage  of  3500  miles.  Fortunately  they  had 
a  fine-weather  passage,  and  accomplished  it  in  six  weeks. 
From  fatigue  and  want  of  sleep  during  that  period,  Bunker 
became  so  ill  that  he  died  a  few  weeks  after  his  arrival  at 
Pitcairn ;  and  the  launch  having  been  hauled  up  on  the 
rocky  shore  of  the  island,  her  timbers  and  wood-work 
served  for  the  construction  of  a  house  for  Mr.  Nobbs,*  who 
became,  like  Evans  and  Buffett,  a  permanent  settler  in  the 
colony. 

The  year  1829  was  one  of  deep  mourning  to  our  island- 
ers. On  March  29th,  aged  65,  died  John  Adams,  their 
venerated  pastor  and  teacher.     His  was  a  life,  the  com- 

*  He  married  Sarah  Christian,  grand-daughter  of  Fletcher  Christian, 
the  mutineer,  whose  son  Charles,  father  of  Sarah,  married  the  little  Tahi- 
tian  girl  brought  by  her  mother  to  Pitcairn  when  she  was  only  ten  months 
old  (see  chap.  iii. ,  p.  53),  and  who  thus  became  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Nobbs. 


DEATH  OF  JOHN  ADAMS.  Ill 

mencement  of  which  had  been  marked  by  terrible  and  un- 
usual events,  but  one  that  ended  most  peacefully.  He 
passed  away  in  the  presence  of  his  family  and  of  his  af- 
fectionate flock,  all  of  whom  loved  and  revered  him  as 
a  parent. 

The  son  of  a  lighterman  and  brother  of  a  waterman  of 
London,  John  Adams  had  picked  up  his  little  stock  of 
knowledge  from  printed  papers  collected  in  London  streets 
and  elsewhere,  by  the  help  of  which  he  had  taught  himself 
reading  and  writing.  Such  was  his  slender  amount  of  ac- 
quirements, when  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  joined  the 
Bounty  as  an  able-bodied  seaman,  and  at  twenty-four 
found  himself  on  Pitcairn  Island,  the  only  protector  of  so 
many  helpless  human  beings.  Well  did  he  acquit  himself 
of  his  mission  !  By  the  mercy  of  God,  and  by  the  aid  of 
his  Bible  and  Prayer-book,  which  he  had  so  earnestly  stud- 
ied, John  Adams  succeeded  in  establishing  such  a  commu- 
nity as  has  been  the  dream  of  poets  and  the  aspiration  of 
philosophers ;  and  the  result  of  his  humble  endeavors  was 
shown  by  the  exercise  "  of  all  that  is  lovely  and  of  good 
report"  in  the  isolated  Pitcairn  colony,  far  away  in  the 
vast  Pacific  Ocean. 

8* 


JZT**  ** ,  y,  HZ*e  -  ^  & 


**<-, 


^rr^;/-„f  Xj[<nsJk/*~*  s^a*****?,  *7*e 


178  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 


CHAPTER  III. 

George  Hunn  Nobbs  succeeds  John  Adams  as  Pastor  of  Pitcairn  Island. 
— Emigration  to  Tahiti. — Keturn. — Arrival  of  Joshua  Hill. — Arbitrary 
Proceedings.  — Joshua  Hill  removed  from  Pitcairn. 

The  death  of  John  Adams  was  a  serious  blow  to  the 
islanders;  but  he  had  appointed  George  Hunn  Nobbs, 
who  had  a  vocation  for  the  ministry,  to  succeed  him  in  the 
pastoral  office.  In  addition  to  a  fair  amount  of  education, 
Mr.  Nobbs  possessed  some  knowledge  of  medicine  and  sur- 
gery, and  exercised  his  skill  with  much  benefit  to  the  com- 
munity. He  was  often  sorely  tried  by  the  want  of  neces- 
sary remedies,  the  arrival  of  supplies  being  very  precari- 
ous; but  his  unwearying  watchfulness  and  care  greatly 
tended  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  his  patients.* 

In  1830,  the  colony  consisted  of  eighty-seven  persons, 
when  a  long  drought,  together  with  a  bad  season  for  their 
plantations,  gave  rise  to  fears  that  they  might  be  over- 
taken by  famine.  It  had  long  been  a  matter  of  grave  con- 
sideration that,  as  their  numbers  increased,  the  want  of 
water  would  be  severely  felt ;  and  in  consequence,  a  pro- 
posal was  made  to  the  islanders  by  the  Government  to 
remove  them  to  Tahiti.  This  proposal  in  due  course  was 
submitted  to  Queen  Pomare,  who  seconded  it  with  great 


*  Mr.  Nobbs's  remuneration  (for  in  course  of  time  this  new  arrange- 
ment was  established)  consisted,  as  pastor,  in  his  house  being  kept  in  re- 
pair, while,  as  surgeon,  he  received  three  acres  of  land  for  cultivation,  and, 
as  school-master,  the  value  of  a  shilling  a  month  each  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  scholars.  But  to  the  children  of  large  families,  whose  parents  could 
not  afford  to  pay,  he  gave  instruction  gratis. 


THE   REV.   G.  H.  NOBBS. 


REMOVAL  TO   TAHITI.— RETURN.  181 

zeal,  and  agreed  to  receive  them  into  her  dominions. 
There  was,  however,  great  difference  of  opinion  among  the 
Pitcairners  as  to  the  desirability  of  the  change.  Some 
were  willing  to  leave  the  island  ;  others  (and  among  them 
Mr.  Nobbs)  were  much  opposed  to  the  measure.  But  the 
strong  ties  of  relationship  and  affection  which  bound  to- 
gether all  the  members  of  the  little  colony  finally  pre- 
vailed ;  and  they  determined  not  to  separate.  Early  in 
March,  1831,  they  all  embarked  in  a  Government  vessel, 
the  Sarah  Anne,  and  arrived  at  Tahiti  on  the  21st  of  the 
same  month.  A  tract  of  rich  land  was  assigned  to  them 
by  the  queen,  and  the  Tahitians  assisted  in  collecting 
wood,  and  also  in  constructing  houses  for  their  new 
friends,  whom  they  looked  upon  as  relations.  One  old 
woman  came  from  a  distance  to  recognize  a  long-lost  sis- 
ter in  one  of  the  surviving  women  who  had  left  Tahiti  in 
the  Bounty.  To  the  Pitcairners,  however,  the  climate  was 
peculiarly  unfavorable,  for  sickness  soon  broke  out  among 
them ;  and  Thursday  October  Christian,  the  first  born  on 
Pitcairn  Island,  fell  a  victim  to  this  prevailing  malady. 

Their  simple  austere  mode  of  life,  and  their  rectitude  of 
conduct,  rendered  the  licentious  and  lax  morality  of  the 
Tahitians  most  repugnant  to  the  Pitcairn  people ;  and, 
notwithstanding  the  kind  hospitality  shown  them — espe- 
cially by  the  queen — they  determined,  if  even  at  their  own 
expense,  to  return  to  their  beloved  island  home.  Some 
months  before  the  general  removal,  the  Buffett  family,  and 
some  other,  returned  to  Pitcairn ;  but  they  found  it  a  wil- 
derness, and  the  plantations  destroyed  by  the  live-stock 
which  had  run  wild  during  their  absence.  In  September, 
1831,  an  American  brig  brought  away  all  the  remaining 
families  from  Tahiti,  and  the  queen,  who  had  adopted 
Reuben  Nobbs,  and  wished  to  bring  him  up  with  her  own 
children,  allowed  him  to  accompany  his  parents,  notwith- 


182  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

standing  her  own  disinclination  to  part  with  the  boy. 
The  first  care  of  the  Pitcairners,  after  their  retnrn,  was  to 
restore  the  ravaged  plantations  and  repair  the  houses ; 
and  thus,  by  industry  and  labor,  the  settlement  soon  re- 
sumed its  wonted  aspect  of  cleanliness  and  comfort. 

The  year  1832  was  marked  by  a  series  of  events — sad 
proofs  of  the  instability  of  all  human  arrangements,  and 
also  of  the  facility  with  which,  through  their  best  and 
most  generous  feelings,  the  minds  of  this  simple  and  unso- 
phisticated community  might  be  warped,  and  their  judg- 
ment distorted,  by  the  designs  of  artful  impostors.  Their 
passionate  feeling  of  loyalty  to  the  Government,  and  to 
the  country  of  their  forefathers,  was  proverbial  among  all 
who  had  ever  visited  the  island.  To  belong  to  England, 
to  be  looked  upon  as  subjects  of  the  queen,  was  the  height 
of  their  ambition.  Hence  their  anxiety  to  act  under  au- 
thority betrayed  them  into  a  snare  laid  for  them  by  an  el- 
derly man,  one  Joshua  Hill,  who  said  he  had  left  England 
by  order  of  the  Government  to  live  at  Pitcairn  for  the 
benefit  of  the  inhabitants.  He  boasted  of  the  great  pow- 
ers with  which  he  had  been  invested  by  the  authorities  at 
home,  and  that  he  could  at  any  time  summon  a  ship  of  war 
to  uphold  his  dignity.  John  Buffett  received  this  gentle- 
man into  his  house  with  great  delight,  and  all  the  inhabit- 
ants treated  him  with  more  than  their  usual  kindness  and 
hospitality.  By  promises  and  by  presents,  he  succeeded 
in  detaching  them  from  their  allegiance  to  their  pastor, 
and  said  he  would  undertake  that  office  himself.  A  reign 
of  terror  soon  became  fully  established,  and  this  imperson- 
ation of  despotism  declared  his  intention  of  ridding  him- 
self of  Mr.  Nobbs  and  the  other  Englishmen  on  the  island 
by  "  starvation,  flogging,  or  hanging."  Mr.  Nobbs  was  in 
continual  fear  of  his  life  from  the  conduct  of  this  man,  and 
when  he  was  overtaken  by  severe  illness  arising  from  anx- 


JOSHUA  HILL.  183 

iety,  his  friends  were  forbidden  to  visit  him,  and  he  was 
also  debarred  the  use  of  the  necessary  remedies  to  which 
he  was  entitled  out  of  the  general  medicine-chest  of  the 
island. 

Hill's  next  proceedings  were  directed  against  Buffett, 
whose  guest  he  had  been,  and  who  had  shown  him  so 
much  kindness.  The  treatment  experienced  by  him  is  re- 
lated in  the  following  letter  addressed  either  to  the  Right 
Honorable  Lord  James  Townshend,  Senior  Captain  on  the 
West  Coast  of  South  America,  or  to  Rear-admiral  Sir  Mi- 
chael Seymour,  Commander-in-chief — to  which  of  these 
officers  does  not  appear ;  but  it  will  be  seen  how  arbitrary 
had  been  the  conduct  of  Hill  in  the  verdict  pronounced  on 
the  mock  trial  to  which  Buffett  had  been  subjected  : 

"Pitcairn  Island,  1834. 
"  Honored  Sie, — I  hope  you  will  excuse  the  liberty  I  take 
in  writing  to  you,  which  I  doubt  not  you  will,  when  you 
are  informed  in  what  critical  circumstances  I  am  placed. 
In  December,  1823,  on  our  return  to  England,*  we  touched 
at  Pitcairn  Island,  and  by  desire  of  the  natives  and  con- 
sent of  our  captain,  I  went  on  shore  to  teach  their  children 
to  read,  etc.,  which  I  did  to  their  satisfaction.  Mr.  Nobbs 
arriving  soon  after,  became  their  teacher;  since  then  I  have 
lived  as  a  private  individual,  on  good  terms  with  the  na- 
tives. After  going  to  Tahiti  with  them,  and  remaining 
there  about  three  weeks,  I  procured  a  passage  for  myself, 
my  wife,  and  family,  and  arrived  at  Pitcairn  Island  about 
three  months  before  the  rest  of  the  natives.  After  they 
all  arrived,  we  all  lived  together  upon  friendly  terms,  un- 
til the  arrival  of  Mr.  Joshua  Hill  from  Tahiti,  in  October, 
1832,  who  stated  that  he  had  been  sent  out  by  the  British 
Government,  and  whatever  he  was  in  want  of  he  would 
procure  from  England,  New  South  Wales,  or  Valparaiso. 

*  It  will  be  remembered  that  Buftett  was  a  sailor,  and  wished  to  remain 
at  Pitcairn. 


184     -  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"  By  means  of  such  promises,  and  by  his  making  them 
believe  that  whatever  heretofore  had  been  sent  out  was 
by  his  influence,  he  has  gained  the  favor  of  a  few  natives, 
and  appointed  three  elders  and  two  privy  councillors.  He 
has  framed  laws  and  built  a  prison ;  and  should  any  of  the 
natives  refuse  to  obey  him,  let  his  proposals  be  ever  so 
unjust,  he  tells  them  he  will  send  to  England  for  a  gov- 
ernor, and  a  regiment  of  soldiers.  By  such  means,  he  has 
persuaded  the  islanders  to  sign  a  petition  to  Government 
to  deprive  us  Englishmen  and  our  children  of  their  lands ; 
and  I  am  ordered,  with  my  wife  and  children,  to  leave  the 
island.  His  plea  (J.  H.'s)  is,  that  there  is  not  land  suffi- 
cient. At  the  same  time,  he  has  proposed  to  send  to  Eng- 
land for  English  ladies,  for  wives  for  the  youths  of  the  isl- 
and ;  and  because  I  made  known  his  plan  of  sending  my 
wife  and  family  off  the  island,  I  had  a  mock  trial,  on  which 
Mr.  Hill  was  judge,  jury,  and  executioner. 

"After  Mr.  Hill's  beating  me  over  the  head,  breaking 
it  in  two  places,  and  likewise  my  finger,  I  was  suspended 
by  my  hands  in  the  church,  and  flogged  until  I  was  not 
able  to  walk  home.  I  have  been  from  this  treatment  con- 
fined to  my  bed  for  two  weeks,  and  it  was  several  weeks 
before  I  was  able  to  work,  or  have  the  use  of  my  hand ; 
my  wife  at  the  same  time  was  ill  and  not  able  to  work, 
and  Mr.  J.  Hill  would  not  allow  the  natives  to  visit  me  or 
my  wife,  not  even  her  own  sister,  but  literally  tried  to 
starve  us.  Charles  Christian,  the  oldest  man  on  the  isl- 
and, was  brutally  treated,  and  burned  out  of  his  house, 
for  trying  to  prevent  my  being  flogged ;  and  because  the 
women  assembled  crying  shame  on  his  (Mr.  H.'s)  proceed- 
ings, he,  Mr.  Hill,  on  the  Sunday  following  read  the  Riot 
Act,  and  told  them,  should  they  do  so  again,  the  authori- 
ties would  be  justified  in  shooting  them.  He  then  sent 
his  colleagues — as  he  is  pleased  to  call  them — to  take  pos- 
session of  our  fire-arms,  which  they  loaded  with  ball,  and 
Mr.  J.  Hill  has  since  kept  them  in  his  possession.  Since 
this,  sir,  not  only  the  lives  of  the  English  residents,  but 
some  of  the  natives,  have  been  in  danger  from  the  mali- 


JOSHUA  HILL.  1&5 

cious  temper  of  Mr.  J.  Hill.  He  has  been  the  means  of 
depriving  one  of  my  children  of  the  land  left  her  by  her 
grandfather,  and  he  proposes  to  deprive  the  others  also, 
and  as  they  grow  up,  to  send  them  to  sea  as  cabin-boys, 
etc.  He  wished  Captain  Freemantle,  of  H.M.S.  Challen- 
ger, who  touched  at  Pitcairn  Island  in  February,  1832,  to 
remove  me  from  the  island ;  but  he  (Capt.  F.)  would  not. 
Since  that,  he  has  been  trying  all  in  his  power  to  prejudice 
the  natives  against  me.  Captain  T.  Stavers  has  been  so 
kind  as  to  give  me  a  passage  to  Tahiti,  when  I  shall  en- 
deavor to  get  a  passage  for  my  family,  either  to  Lord 
Howe's  Island  or  Kappa.  In  the  mean  time,  I  humbly 
hope,  sir,  you  will  use  your  influence  to  get  Mr.  Hill  re- 
moved from  Pitcairn  Island  ;  it  is  the  desire  of  most  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  land  that  Mr.  Hill  wishes  to  deprive 
my  children  of  is  their  mother's  portion,  left  by  her  father 
(Edward  Young,  of  the  Bounty). 

"  If,  sir,  you  would  condescend  to  write  me  a  few  lines, 
informing  me  how  to  act,  to  the  care  of  Mr.  Pritchard, 
British  Consul,  Tahiti,  you  will  greatly  oblige  your  most 
humble  servant. 

"  (Signed)  J.  Buffett." 

The  following  extract  from  the  sentence  pronounced 
upon  John  Buffett  will  show  the  lengths  to  which  the  ar- 
rogance of  this  Joshua  Hill  induced  him  to  proceed  with 
the  unfortunate  islanders.  In  fact,  it  is  almost  difficult  to 
say  which  is  most  contemptible  in  the  whole  proceeding — 
the  act  itself,  or  the  absurd  documents  by  which  it  was 
carried  out. 

(Copy.) 

"  Pitcairn  Island,  5th  of  August,  1833. 
"  It  only  remains  with  us  to  declare  the  sentence  of  the 
law,  which  is : — And  this  Court  doth  accordingly  adjudge, 
that  you  receive  forthwith  three  dozen  lashes  with  a  cat 
upon  the  bare  back  and  breech,  together  with  a  fine  of 
three  barrels  of  yams  or  potatoes,  to  be  paid  within  one 


186  THE  MUTMJBMB8  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

month,  or  in  default  thereof,  an  extra  barrel  will  be  re- 
quired for  this  reiterated  contempt  of  Court. 

"  (Signed,  etc.,  by  the  whole  Court.) 

"  Moreover,  John  Buffett,  the  sentence  of  the  Court  is, 
that  whether  with  or  without  your  family,  you  are  to  leave 
this  island  by  the  first  vessel  that  may  present  herself;  for 
if  you  do  not,  punishment  and  imprisonment  will  be  the 
consequence. 

"  (Signed  by  the  whole  Court.) 

"  KB. — And,  moreover,  it  is  resolved  by  the  Court  that 
in  case  you,  John  Buffett,  shall  presume  to  deviate  from 
the  reiterated  promises  which  you  made  to  the  said  Court, 
on  the  5th  instant,  touching  your  future  rule  of  action  (i.  e., 
good  conduct,  and  the  assurances  which  you  then  made 
duly  to  respect  the  public  functionaries  of  this  island  whilst 
thus  you  remain  upon  it),  that  the  residuum  of  your  said 
punishment  (twenty-four  from  thirty-six)  shall  be  inflicted. 
But  on  the  contrary  it  may  be  observed,  in  limine,  that 
the  executive  wish  always  peace  and  tranquillity  and  good 
order,  which,  with  the  help  of  the  blessed  Lord,  it  is  de- 
termined to  maintain  and  enforce.  In  the  event,  there- 
fore, of  a  manifest'  reformation  of  your  rule  of  action,  and 
erroneous  actions  and  principles,  the  executive  is  ever 
ready  and  willing  to  take  into  due  consideration,  so  far 
as  circumstances  may  permit,  and  may  prove  compatible 
with  the  general  interest  and  welfare  of  the  commonwealth, 
touching  the  premises,  and  in  relation  to  the  said  rule  of 
action  which  you  may  hereafter  think  just  to  pursue,  and 
the  good  behavior  which  circumstances  render  it  expedi- 
ent that  you  should  adopt ;  otherwise,  in  due  course,  the 
said  balance  of  a  dozen  or  fourteen*  which  still  remain 
due  to  you,  must  be  settled  accordingly. 

"  (Signed,  etc.,  aforesaid  by  the  Court.) 

"I  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  are  true  extracts 

*  Probably  hinting  that  Buffett  had  not  received  the  prescribed  number 
of  lashes. 


JOSHUA  HILL.  187 

and  copies  from  the  originals  deposited  in  the  archives, 
Pitcairn  Island,  5th  of  August,  1833. 

"  (Signed)  J.  Hill. 

"To  John  Bttffett,  Pitcairn  Island." 

"  I  hereby  certify  that  this  is  a  true  copy. 

"  (Signed)  F.  D.  Bennett."* 

The  following  letter — like  that  written  by  J.  Buffett — 
is  addressed  either  to  Lord  James  Townshend,  or  to  Rear- 
admiral  Sir  Michael  Seymour : 

"  The  humble  Petition  of  John  Evans,  ten  years  resident  on 
Pitcairn  Island. 

"  Sheweth, — That  your  petitioner  landed  on  Pitcairn  in 
the  year  1823,  and,  after  a  residence  of  twelve  months, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  the  second  daughter  of  the 
late  John  Adams  (by  his  consent).  From  that  period 
your  petitioner  continued  to  live  in  peace  and  harmony 
with  the  natives,  and  maintained  himself  and  family  in  a 
comfortable  manner.  Your  petitioner  accompanied  the 
Pitcairn  people  to  Tahiti,  and,  while  there,  assisted  them 
as  much  as  lay  in  his  power.  At  their  return,  the  na- 
tives were  perfectly  agreeable  that  your  petitioner  should 
return  with  them,  and  resume  possession  of  his  wife's  land, 
etc.  Things  went  on  in  their  usual  train  for  twelve  months 
after  our  return,  when  a  Mr.  Joshua  Hill  arrived  at  Pit- 
cairn, who  informed  your  petitioner  he  was  come  by  au- 
thority of  the  British  Government  to  adjust  the  internal 
affairs  of  the  island,  and  that  he  had  sent  orders  to  Valpa- 
raiso for  H.M.S.  Dublin  to  come  and  take  him  on  board, 
and  convey  him  to  the  Marquesas  Islands  in  a  diplomatic 
capacity.  Your  petitioner  gave  credit  to  Mr.  Hill's  as- 
sertions, and  treated  him  with  all  possible  respect,  also 
cheerfully  contributing  to  his  support ;  but  scarcely  had 


*  The  surgeon  of  the  Tuscan,  who  had  humanely  attended  the  suf- 
ferers. 


188  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Mr.  Hill  been  on  shore  three  weeks  when  he  attempted  to 
persuade  your  petitioner's  wife  to  leave  him,  saying  he 
would  take  her  under  his  protection,  and  supply  her  with 
every  thing  she  wanted ;  adding,  '  I  will  cause  the  first 
captain  of  a  man-of-war  who  arrives  to  remove  these  lousy 
foreigners  from  the  island.'  My  wife  refused  to  do  as  he 
wished,  and  from  that  time  he  became  her  declared  enemy. 
Shortly  afterwards  a  ship-of-war  arrived,  the  captain  of 
which  declared  he  knew  nothing  of  Mr.  Hill,  neither  had  he 
(Mr.  Hill)  any  authority  from  the  British  Government.  Mr. 
Hill  used  every  means  in  his  power,  by  misrepresentations 
and  gross  falsehood,  to  induce  Captain  Freemantle  to  re- 
move me  from  the  island.  This  Captain  Freemantle  re- 
fused, saying  he  had  a  good  opinion  of  me,  and  should  not 
separate  me  from  my  family.  Captain  Freemantle  severe- 
ly reprimanded  Mr.  Hill  for  his  conduct  towards  the  Eng- 
lish residents,  and  desired  him  to  alter  his  conduct  towards 
them ;  this  Mr.  Hill  promised  to  do,  but  malice  and  false- 
hood are  prominent  traits  in  the  character  of  Joshua  Hill. 
No  sooner  was  Captain  Freemantle  gone,  than  Mr.  Hill 
(vexed  that  he  had  not  gained  his  point)  became  more 
outrageous  than  ever;  he  still  asserted  he  was  sent  out 
by  the  British  Government,  that  Captain  Freemantle  was 
no  gentleman,  and  denounced  vengeance  on  every  native 
who  did  not  join  with  him  in  oppressing  the  lousy  foreign- 
ers. Whenever  a  ship  appeared  in  sight,  two  confidential 
men  were  dispatched  on  board  to  forbid  the  captains  and 
'officers  holding  any  communication  with  foreigners  on 
shore,  and  we  were  prohibited  under  pains  and  penalties 
from  going  on  board.  In  May  last,  a  prison  was  built  for 
the  avowed  purpose  of  confining  the  Englishmen  and  their 
jfriends  by  force,  and  in  July  a  law  was  enacted  relative  to 
high  treason.  Your  petitioner  requested  a  copy  of  this 
as  a  guide  for  his  future  conduct ;  Mr.  Hill  refused  to  give 
him  one,  flew  into  a  violent  rage  ;  and,  shortly  after,  your 
petitioner  was  dragged  to  the  church,  underwent  a  mock 
trial — no  witnesses  being  allowed — and  received  one  doz- 
en lashes  with  a  cat-o'-nine-tails,  each  tail  being  the  size 


JOSHUA  HILL.  189 

of  a  man's  little  finger.  Your  petitioner  was  so  much 
hurt  about  the  head,  eyes,  and  ribs,  as  to  be  confined  to  his 
bed  for  ten  days.  From  this  time  the  state  of  things  be- 
came desperate,  and  your  petitioner  was  under  continual 
alarm  for  the  lives  of  himself  and  family.  Mr.  Hill  and  his 
colleagues  were  continually  threatening  the  life  of  some 
one  or  other,  and  your  petitioner  firmly  believes,  had  it 
not  been  for  the  opportune  arrival  of  the  ship  Tuscan, 
Captain  R.  T.  Stavers,  murder  would  have  been  shortly 
committed.  Captain  Stavers,  seeing  the  untoward  state 
of  affairs,  humanely  consented  to  give  your  petitioner  a 
passage  to  Tahiti.  And  now,  Honored  Sir,  will  you  per- 
mit your  petitioner  to  hope  you  will  commiserate  my  un- 
happy condition  ?  Neither  the  natives  nor  Mr.  Hill  can 
bring  any  serious  charge  against  me,  as  Captain  Stavers 
and  Dr.  Bennett  can  certify,  and  yet  your  petitioner  is 
banished  from  family  and  home,  merely  to  gratify  the 
malevolence  of  Mr.  Hill.  Your  petitioner  humbly  begs 
that  your  Honor  will  restore  your  petitioner  again  to  his 
wife  and  family,  that  he  may  support  them  by  his  labor. 

"And  your  petitioner,  as  in  duty  bound,  will  ever  pray," 
etc.,  etc. 

Finally,  the  three  Englishmen  were  compelled  to  leave 
the  island  with  their  families.  Mr.  Nobbs  and  John 
Evans  proceeded  to  the  Gambier  Islands,  situated  three 
hundred  miles  from  Pitcairn.  Buffett  preferred  returning 
to  Tahiti ;  but  soon  after  left  it,  and  rejoined  his  two 
friends.  And  thus  Joshua  Hill's  authority  became  abso- 
lute in  the  island. 

The  letter  which  we  now  insert  was  written  by  Joshua 
Hill  during  the  height  of  his  power  and  fancied  security, 
and  serves  to  show  the  character  of  the  man  who  had  so 
completely  deluded  the  poor  Pitcairners.  Considering 
their  simplicity,  and  their  utter  ignorance  of  the  world, 
we  must  not  blame  them,  when  we  look  at  home,  and  ob- 
serve, even  at  the  present  day,  the  marvellous  influence 


190  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

designing  impostors  gain  over  the  minds  of  educated  and 

intelligent  people. 

"Pitcaim,  June,  1834. 

"  I  am  aware  that  pedantry  and  egotism  become  no  one, 
and  myself,  perhaps,  less  than  any*  (Prov.  xxvii.  2).  But, 
for  certain  reasons,  the  following  credentials,  as  a  memo- 
randum, I  hope  will  be  pardoned  on  the  present  occasion 
— they  are  truths. 

"  I  observe,  in  limine,  that  I  have  visited  the  four  quar- 
ters of  the  globe,  and  that  it  has  ever  been  my  desire  to 
maintain,  as  far  as  lay  in  my  power,  the  standing  of  an 
English  gentleman.  I  have  lived  a  considerable  while  in 
a  palace,  and  had  my  dinner-parties,  with  a  princess  on 
my  right  and  a  general's  lady  on  my  left.  I  have  had  a 
French  cook,  and  a  box  at  the  opera.  I  have  drove  my 
dress-carriage  (thought  the  neatest  then  in  Paris,  where  I 
spent  five  or  six  years ;  as  well,  I  have  known  Calcutta) 
with  the  handsomest  lady  (said),  Madame  Recamier,  to 
grace  my  carriage.  I  have  drove  a  curricle  with  two 
outriders  and  two  saddle-horses,  besides  a  travelling-car- 
riage, a  valet,  coachman,  footman,  groom,  and,  upon  extra- 
ordinary occasions,  my  rnaitre  d^hotel.  I  have  (at  her  re- 
quest) visited  Madame  Bonaparte  at  the  Tuileries,  St. 
Cloud,  and  Malmaison.  I  might  thus  mention  many  oth- 
ers of  note  abroad.  I  have  frequently  dined  with  that  re- 
markable woman,  Madame  Carbanas,  afterwards  the  Prin- 
cess de  C .  I  have  had  the  honor  of  being  in  com- 
pany, i.  e.,  at  the  same  parties,  with  both  his  late  Majesty 
George  IV.,  then  prince-regent,  and  his  present  Majesty, 
William  IV.,  then  H.R.H.  Duke  of  Clarence ;  as  well  as 
with  their  royal  brothers.  I  have  ridden  in  a  royal  duke's 
carriage  with  four  horses  and  three  footmen,  more  than 
once ;  and  have  dined  at  his  table,  and  drunk  the  old 
hock  of  his  late  father  George  III.  I  have  visited  the 
Falls  of  Niagara  and  Montmorency,  the  Natural  Bridge  in 
Virginia,  the  great  Reciprocating  Fountain  in  East  Ten- 

*  Brodie,  p.  211. 


JOSHUA  HILL'S  LETTER.  191 

nessee,  the  great  Temple  of  Elephanta  at  Bombay.  I 
have  dined  with  a  prince,  as  well  as  with  a  princess ;  and 
with  a  count,  a  baron,  an  ambassador,  a  minister  (ordinary 
and  extraordinary),  and  have  travelled  with  one  for  some 
weeks.  I  have  dined  with  a  charge  d'affaires,  and  lived 
with  consuls,  etc.  I  have  visited  and  conversed  with 
'Red  Jacket,'  the  great  Indian  warrior.  I  have  visited 
and  been  visited  by  a  bishop.  I  have  frequently  partook 
of  the  delicious  Hungarian  wine  (tokay),  Prince  Ester- 
hazy's;  as  also  of  Prince  Swartzenburgh's  old  hock,  said 
to  have  been  seventy-three  years  old ;  and  I  am  intimate 
with  the  brother-in-law  of  this  last  German  nobleman.  I 
have  dined  with  a  principal  Hong-kong  merchant  at  Can- 
ton. I  have  sat  next  to  the  beautiful  Madame  Recamier 
and  Madame  Carbanas,  at  the  great  dinner-parties.  I 
have  written  to  the  Prime-minister  of  England,  and  have 
received  the  answer  (late  Earl  of  Liverpool's)  with  his 
thanks,  etc.  I  have  made  a  common  silk  net  for  a  certain 
fashionable  marchioness,  which  she  actually  wore  at  her 
next  great  party  of  five  or  six  hundred  persons.  I  have 
danced  with  the  Countess  Bertrand,  i.  6.,  Mademoiselle 
Fanny  Dillon,  before  she  married  the  marshal.  I  was  at 
Napoleon's  coronation.  I  have  been  invited  to  the  lord 
mayor's,  and  to  a  dinner  of  an  alderman  of  London ;  to 
those  also  of  the  first  merchants  and  bankers,  as  the  late 
Mr.  Thelusson  (afterwards  Lord  Rendlesham),  the  former- 
ly rich  Mrs.  A.  and  B.  Goldsmiths,  etc.  And  at  Paris  I 
have  had  a  credit  of  400,000  francs  at  one  time,  on  the 
house  of  Perregan,  Lafitte,  etc.,  and  other  bankers  at  Paris 
for  considerable  sums ;  Delepent  &  Co.  for  40,000  francs ; 
and  Recamiers  at  one  time  for  upwards  of  100,000  francs. 
I  have  had  at  a  time  nearly  £5000  sterling  at  the  Bank  of 
England.  I  wrote  and  published  in  the  London  'Morning 
Post'  (Yth  of  March,  1811)  on  naval  power.  I  have  seen 
the  Yestrises,  father,  son,  and  grandson,  at  once  (the  only 
time),  dance  on  a  stage  at  the  opera  at  Paris.  I  have 
given  a  passage  to  many  on  board  my  ship,  but  never  in 
my  life  received  a  farthing  as  passage-money  from  any 


192  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

person.  I  am  decidedly  against  the  use  of  ardent  spirits 
(malt  liquor  may  do  for  those  who  like  it),  tobacco,  etc. 
And  as  for  wine,  that  only  at  dinner ;  it  even  then  ought 
to  be  good,  if  not  the  very  best,  as  the  gourmet  would 
have  it,  when  speaking  of  Clos-vaugeaut  and  Romance, 
etc.  I  have  had  a  fine  band  of  music  on  board  my  ship, 
and  my  four  kinds  of  wine  on  my  table.  (I  am  not  sleep- 
ing on  a  c  bed  of  roses '  now,  but  in  an  humble  hut  or 
cabin.)  After  all,  what  does  the  foregoing  amount  to  ? 
Vanity  of  vanities.  I  will  merely  add  that  I  have  had  a 
year  in  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  that  I  am  a  life-member 
in  the  Bible  Society.  That  I  am  looking,  with  the  bless- 
ed Lord's  help,  to  something  of  far  more  intrinsic  worth 
and  consideration, c  the  prize  of  our  high  calling ' — the  life 
to  come.  I  am  now  in  my  sixty-second  year  of  age,  and, 
of  course,  it  is  high  time  that  I  should  look  upon  this 
world  as  nearly  to  close  on  me.  I  might  perhaps  say 
much  more,  but  must  stop.*  I  am  now  an  humble  teacher 
upon  Pitcairn  Isle  for  the  time  being. 

"  (Signed)  J.  Hill." 

The  letters  of  Mr.  Nobbs,  Mr.  Buffett,  and  John  Evans, 
and  other  documents  relative  to  the  self-constituted  au- 
thority of  Mr.  Hill,  having  been  sent  home  to  the  Admi- 
ralty, was  the  occasion  of  a  correspondence  with  Lord 
James  Townshend,  who  had  forwarded  copies  of  it  to 
Captain  Mason,  and  his  reply  is  as  follows  : 

(Copy.) 

"  H.M.S.  Blonde,  Callao,  June  2d,  1836. 
"  Sir, — I  had  the  honor  to  receive,  on  the  28th  of  May, 
your  letter  of  the  3d  of  October,  1835,  inclosing  copies  of- 


*  I  have  had  a  member  of  Parliament,  an  East  Indian  director,  call  on 
me  to  ask  a  favor,  which,  indeed,  no  one  else  could  grant.  I  have  his 
note  thus  still.  And  I  have  had  a  beautiful  Egyptian  lady  write  to  me 
(I  have  her  note  also  still),  the  wife  of  one  of  Bonaparte's  generals. 


DEPORTATION  OF  JOSHUA  HILL.  193 

letters  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty  and  Mr.  Hay, 
with  other  documents  relative  to  the  Pitcairn  Islanders, 
and  desiring  me  to  go  or  send  a  vessel  there  to  investi- 
gate the  conduct  of  Mr.  Hill,  and  to  undeceive  the  people 
as  to  his  authority,  etc.  In  reply,  I  beg  to  inform  you 
that  I  have  always  felt  a  strong  interest  in  that  most  ex- 
emplary and  Christian  society,  and  that  nothing  but  the 
revolutionary  state  of  Peru  since  February  last,  and  a  for- 
eign war  since  June,  which  has  placed  the  persons  and 
property  of  His  Majesty's  subjects,  in  common  with  other 
foreign  merchants,  in  great  hazard,  together  with  the  loss 
of  the  Challenger,  has  prevented  my  going  or  sending ; 
but  in  consequence  of  various  letters  which  I  received  as 
far  back  as  December,  1834,  I  wrote  at  various  times  to 
the  victims  of  Mr.  Hill's  tyranny  and  oppression,  and  to 
Mr.  Pritchard  at  Tahiti,  informing  them  of  my  firm  con- 
viction that  he  had  no  right  to  assume  any  authority  on 
the  island,  much  less  to  use  corporal  punishment,  or  to 
send  any  of  the  inhabitants  away.  I  will,  however,  take 
the  earliest  opportunity  of  going  or  sending  a  vessel 
there,  and  hope  to  hear  that  the  letters  I  wrote  produced 
the  desired  effect  of  releasing  the  inhabitants  from  Mr. 
Hill's  tyranny  and  oppression,  and  of  restoring  to  the  isl- 
and those  whom  he  had  driven  away.  I  have  the  honor 
to  be,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  (Signed)   '  Francis  Mason. 

"  Lobd  James  Townshenj>, 

"Commander-in-chief,  etc.,  West  Coast,  South  America." 

Captain  Mason,  in  another  letter,  says,  "I  regret  that 
that  once  interesting  and  exemplary  colony  should  be  un- 
der the  influence  of  such  a  man." 

Happily,  this  reign  of  terror  on  Pitcairn  Island  was 
drawing  to  a  close,  and  in  a  manner  calculated  to  unde- 
ceive the  credulous  islanders  as  to  the  unfounded  preten- 
sions of  Joshua  Hill.  He  had  asserted,  in  addition  to  oth- 
er absurd  declarations,  that  he  was  a  near  relative  of  the 
Puke  of  Bedford ;  and  it  was  a  remarkable  circumstance 

9 


194  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

that  the  next  ship  of  war  which  touched  at  Pitcairn  after 
the  visit  of  Captain  Seymour  in  the  Challenger  was  the 
Actaeon,  commanded  by  Lord  Edward  Russell,  in  1837. 
No  one  was  more  astonished  than  Hill  himself  at  this  un- 
expected arrival  of  a  member  of  the  Bedford  family ;  and 
had  Lord  Edward's  orders  authorized  such  a  proceeding, 
he  would  have  removed  Hill  from  the  island,  feeling  justly 
indignant  at  his  tyrannical  conduct  and  his  falsehoods. 

In  the  following  year,  1838,  this  measure  was  carried 
out  by  the  Honorable  Captain  H.  W.  Bruce,  commanding 
H.M.S.  Imogene,  who  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  Pitcairn, 
to  remove  Joshua  Hill,  and  land  him  at  Valparaiso. 

From  this  period  no  further  account  has  been  received 
of  this  aged  impostor,  who,  no  doubt,  has  sunk  into  the 
contempt  and  oblivion  he  merited  by  his  disgraceful  con- 
duct. No  one,  singular  to  say,  seemed  to  know  who  he 
was,  or  what  were  his  occupations  previous  to  his  making 
this  raid  upon  the  poor  Pitcairn  Islanders. 

Immediately  on  his  removal,  the  islanders  sent  to  Mr. 
Nobbs  and  his  companions  in  exile  to  return,  and  also  of- 
fered to  pay  all  the  expenses  of  their  voyage  from  the 
Gambler  Islands.  On  their  arrival  at  Pitcairn  their  recep- 
tion was  so  enthusiastic  and  affectionate  that  it  proved  it 
was  not  by  the  wish  of  the  community  generally  that  the 
three  families  had  been  dismissed.  The  following  docu- 
ment, which  had  been  written  some  years  previously,  was 
then  forwarded  to  the  Admiralty,  and  testifies  to  the  good 
feeling  which  had  existed  between  Mr.  Nobbs  and  his 
flock  until  the  arrival  of  Hill : 

"Pitcairn  Island,  December,  1832. 
"  We,  the  undersigned  heads  of  families  at  Pitcairn's 
Island,  do  hereby  certify  that  Mr.  George  Nobbs  has  con- 
ducted himself  to  our  satisfaction  ever  since  he  has  been 
on  this  island ;  also,  we  have  no  fault  to  find  with  his 


RETURN  OF  MR.  NOBBS.  195 

manner  of  keeping  school  for  the  space  of  four  years ;  and 
the  reason  why  Mr.  Nobbs  is  dismissed  from  teaching  and 
school-keeping  is  in  consequence  of  a  disagreement  be- 
tween Mr.  Nobbs  and  Mr.  Joshua  Hill,  who  has  lately 
come  to  reside  on  this  island  among  us. 

"  (Signed)  George  Adams, 

Edward  Quintal, 
Arthur  Quintal, 
Fletcher  Christian, 
William  Young, 
William  M'Koy." 


196  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Ships  of  "War  visit  Pitcairn. — Letter  of  Captain  Wood,  R.N. — Arrival  of 
Baron  Thierry  and  others. — Aboriginal  Inhabitants  of  Pitcairn  Island. 

Dttking  the  next  few  years  Pitcairn  Island  was  visited 
by  a  ship  of  war,  by  a  missionary  vessel,  having  on  board 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Heath,  of  London,  and  several  traders  and 
American  whalers  in  want  of  water  and  vegetables. 
Many  of  these  had  previously  touched  at  the  island  for 
the  same  purpose,  and  so  strictly  honest  were  the  island- 
ers in  their  dealings,  that  their  word  was  a  sufficient  guar- 
anty for  the  correctness  of  the  settled  amount  of  supplies 
bartered,  such  as  soap,  oil,  and  other  commodities.  Even 
in  times  of  privation  and  scarcity  after  a  bad  season,  there 
was  no  diminution  in  amount  or  increased  payment  de- 
manded by  the  islanders  for  the  supplies  sent  to  the  ships. 
The  respect  which  these  rough  merchantmen  and  whalers 
felt  for  the  Pitcairners  was  such  that  one  sailor  declared, 
"  That  if  any  insult  were  to  be  offered  to  any  of  them,  and 
especially  to  the  female  part  of  the  community,  a  man 
would  not  be  long  alive  after  he  came  on  board." 

H.M.'s  ship  Curacoa,  Captain  Jenkin  Jones,  arrived  most 
opportunely  in  August,  1841,  when  influenza  prevailed 
among  the  inhabitants  of  so  severe  a  character  as  almost 
to  decimate  their  numbers.  Their  stock  of  medicine  was 
expended,  and  Mr.  Nobbs's  efforts  to  arrest  the  course  of 
the  malady  seemed  unavailing.  The  surgeon  of  the  ship 
was  sent  on  shore  immediately  with  all  necessary  supplies 
and  remedies  for  the  sick,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days 
many  of  the  sufferers  were  pronounced  convalescent. 


HURRICANE  ON  PITCAIRN  ISLAND.  197 

Captain  Jones,  having  ascertained  the  spot  where  the 
Bounty  had  been  sunk,  succeeded,  with  some  difficulty,  in 
raising  the  charred  hull,  and  found  that  such  had  been  the 
solidity  of  her  timbers,  that  her  "  heart  of  oak "  had  sur- 
vived the  power  of  fire  and  water,  and  the  effects  of  sub- 
mersion for  half  a  century. 

Various  ornamental  articles  were  manufactured  out  of 
the  remains  of  the  old  ship,  which  the  islanders  sent  as 
presents  to  several  of  their  friends  in  England ;  and  Isa- 
bella Christian,  widow  of  the  mutineer,  although  at  a  very 
advanced  age,  confided  to  the  care  of  Captain  Jones  sev- 
eral yards  of  beautifully  manufactured  tappa  cloth  as  a 
present  to  "Peter's  wife."*  She  had  a  perfect  recollec- 
tion of  Peter  Heywood,  the  young  midshipman,  and  also 
of  Captain  Cook  when  he  visited  Tahiti.  She  died  a 
month  after  the  Curacoa  left  the  island,  in  August,  1841. 

In  the  course  of  the  year  1845  fever  again  broke  out 
among  the  islanders,  and,  at  the  same  time,  consumption 
and  rheumatism  were  rife  among  them.  The  recurrence 
of  these  maladies  simultaneously  was  traced  to  circum- 
stances which  invariably  produced  the  same  results — a 
long  drought,  succeeded  by  two  or  three  weeks  of  rain, 
and  the  wind  prevailing  from  the  north-west. 

April  16th,  1845,  is  marked  in  the  island  register  by  the 
occurrence  of  a  fearful  hurricane,  which  did  infinite  dam- 
age to  both  trees  and  plantations,  and  is  thus  described 
by  an  eye-witness : 

"For  several  days  past  the  weather  has  been  cloudy, 
with  occasional  showers.  With  the  wind  south-south- 
west, it  began  to  rain  in  good  earnest.  As  the  sun  de- 
clined the  wind  increased.  At  sunset  it  blew  a  gale ;  all 
hands  employed  in  securing  the  roofs  of  their  houses,  and 

*  The  widow  of  Captain  Peter  Heywood,  R.N. 


198  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

making  all  snug  before  dark.  A  dirty  night  was  antici- 
pated, and  all  our  fears  were  realized.  At  10  p.m.  the 
wind  shifted  four  or  five  points  to  the  westward,  and  the 
sheet-lightning  began  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  lu- 
cid atmosphere.  By  midnight  a  perfect  typhoon  raged 
above  and  around  us;  the  whole  course  of  the  heavens 
was  in  a  continual  blaze,  and  the  thunder,  although  not  so 
very  loud,  with  the  exception  of  one  burst,  was  incessant. 
From  the  position  of  the  wind,  which  veered  and  hauled 
four  or  five  points,  the  houses  were  a  good  deal  sheltered 
from  its  violence,  or  they  most  assuredly  would  have  been 
prostrated ;  therefore  the  most  of  us,  who  passed  a  sleep- 
less night,  were,  in  mercy,  permitted  to  remain  quiet  in  our 
houses.  Very  frequently  during  the  night  loud  crashes 
were  heard,  which  we  supposed  were  the  trees  in  the  high- 
er parts  of  the  island  yielding  to  the  fury  of  the  storm. 
The  noise  did  not  proceed  from  the  falling  and  crashing 
of  trees,  but  from  a  cause  of  which  at  the  time  we  were 
happily  ignorant.  At  daylight  a  man,  much  alarmed,  came 
to  my  house,  saying  a  part  of  the  island  had  given  way 
and  was  falling  into  the  sea.  From  the  door  of  my  house 
I  observed  imperfectly  a  spot  from  which  a  portion  of 
earth  had  been  detached,  and  felt  certain  that  it  was  an 
avalanche,  occasioned  by  the  wind  acting  upon  the  trees, 
and  the  torrents  of  rain  which  fell  detaching  the  earth 
from  the  part  above  it.  So  great  was  the  consternation 
and  amazement  of  the  natives,  that  although  they  had. 
seen  the  spot  from  which  the  earth  had  slipped  every  day 
of  their  lives,  yet  they  could  not  so  far  collect  their  ideas 
as  to  remember  the  original  appearance  of  the  place, 
whose  property  it  had  been,  nor  the  locality  near  it. 
As  to  the  cause  of  the  disruption,  various  opinions  pre- 
vailed, and  what  may  be  easily  referred  to  natural  causes, 
and  those  not  recondite  either,  would  to  persons  so  inex- 


HURRICANE  ON  PITCA1RN  ISLAND.  199 

perienced  as  our  community  appear  both  mysterious  and 
awful.  I  will  endeavor  to  describe  in  a  few  words  what 
presented  itself  to  our  view  at  daylight.  The  place  in 
question  was  situated  at  the  head  of  the  ravine,  and  im- 
mense pieces  of  rock  were  borne  along  slowly  but  unre- 
sistingly, and  about  three  hundred  cocoa-nut  trees  were 
torn  up  by  the  roots  and  carried  into  the  sea.  So  tena- 
cious was  the  heterogeneous  stream,  that  some,  being  dis- 
placed from  their  original  situation,  remained  in  an  up- 
right position  for  some  time,  and  when  they  fell  it  was 
many  yards  from  the  spot  where  they  had  come  to  matu- 
rity. A  considerable  portion  of  this  aquatic  lava  (for  in- 
deed its  appearance  had  a  distant  resemblance  to  the 
molten  streams  of  an  active  volcano)  had  reached  the  sea 
at  daylight ;  and  when  some  of  our  people  ventured  to 
the  edge  of  the  precipice,  they  found  to  their  dismay  the 
boat-houses  and  boats  left  there  had  disappeared.  Two 
families,  whose  houses  were  adjacent  to  the  ravine,  re- 
moved their  household  goods,  fearing  that  the  foundations 
of  their  dwellings  might  become  undermined  and  bury 
them  underneath;  but  in  a  few  hours  the  stream  had 
ceased  to  flow,  and  confidence  was  in  a  measure  restored. 
We  had  now  time  to  turn  our  attention  to  other  parts  of 
the  island.  At  Bounty  Bay  a  great  quantity  of  earth  had 
been  washed  away ;  a  yam-ground,  containing  one  thou- 
sand yams,  had  disappeared  entirely ;  several  fishing-boats 
destroyed ;  the  Bounty's  guns  washed  to  the  edge  of  the 
surf;  and  large  pieces  of  rock  so  obstructed  the  harbor 
that,  if  a  ship  should  come,  it  is  doubtful  whether  a  pas- 
sage could  be  found  for  her  boat  to  pass  through.  In  the 
interior  all  the  plantains  were  destroyed,  one-half  in  full 
bearing,  and  the  other  half  designed  for  the  year  1846,  so 
that  this  very  valuable  article  of  food  we  shall  be  without 
for  a  long  time.     The  fact  is,  from  this  date,  April  16th, 


200  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

until  August,  we  shall  be  perished  for  want  of  food.  But 
1  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb ;'  and  we 
humbly  trust  that  the  late  monitions  of  Providence,  viz., 
drought,  sickness,  and  storm,  which  severally  have  been 
inflicted  on  us  this  year,  may  be  sanctified  to  us  all,  as 
bringing  us  into  closer  communion  with  God.  Unfortu- 
nately the  island  is  subject  to  such  visitations;  on  one 
occasion,  some  years  previously,  the  bread-fruit  trees  and 
orange-gardens  were  ravaged  by  the  gale." 

A  painful  incident  is  recorded  in  February,  1847 — an 
accident  which  occurred  to  Reuben  Nobbs  when  out 
shooting  goats  among  the  mountains.  His  foot  slipped, 
and  he  fell  on  his  loaded  musket,  which  occasioned  its 
discharge,  the  ball  passing  through  his  hip-joint  and  com- 
ing out  near  the  knee.  Fortunately,  there  were  persons 
at  hand,  who  tore  up  their  shirts  and  staunched  the  blood, 
and  the  sad  news  being  conveyed  to  the  village,  all  the 
inhabitants  who  heard  of  it  hastened  to  the  spot  to  afford 
him  assistance.  They  carried  him  tenderly  to  his  home 
stretched  in  a  canoe,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  men  sat 
up  during  the  night  in  case  they  should  be  required.  For 
many  days  he  remained  in  a  precarious  state  from  the 
depth  of  the  wound,  and  his  father  experienced  great  dif- 
ficulty in  ascertaining  if  any  wadding  had  passed  through 
with  the  ball.  In  the  midst  of  their  anxiety  the  intelli- 
gence arrived  that  a  ship  had  been  descried  in  the  offing. 
"  Thank  God !"  was  the  general  exclamation ;  and  as  she 
anchored,  canoes  instantly  put  off  to  obtain  necessaries  for 
their  suffering  friend.  This  ship  proved  to  be  the  Spy, 
Captain  Woolridge,  who  landed  with  the  surgeon,  and,  to 
the  relief  of  all,  he  pronounced  the  state  of  the  patient,  less 
dangerous  than  had  been  imagined,  but  said  that  the 
youth  had  a  narrow  escape  from  death,  and  would  be 
lame  for  life. 


ANTIQUITIES  ON  PITCAIRN  ISLAND.  201 

In  March,  1848,  the  Calypso,  Captain  Worth,  visited 
Pitcairn,  and  the  surgeon,  Dr.  Domet,  a  man  of  science 
and  an  antiquary,  having  heard  of  hieroglyphics  existing 
on  the  face  of  some  rocks  at  the  east  end  of  the  island, 
determined  to  visit  the  spot,  to  see  if  they  confirmed  the 
reported  traces  of  aboriginal  inhabitants;  and  although 
the  access  was  both  difficult  and  dangerous,  he  was  not  to 
be  deterred  from  his  purpose.  One  of  the  islanders  ac- 
companied him,  and  was  astonished  that  he  would  not  be 
assisted  by  a  rope,  but  unaided  he  descended  the  almost 
perpendicular  face  of  the  rock  like  his  attendant,  to  a  nar- 
row ledge  only  a  few  inches  wide.  A  fall  from  the  height 
of  six  hundred  feet,  upon  the  rocks  and  the  foaming  break- 
ers beneath,  would  have  been  certain  destruction.  Dr. 
Domet  made  some  drawings  of  the  figures,  which  repre- 
sented principally  the  sun  and  moon,  and  various  birds; 
there  were  also  some  very  rude  delineations  of  human  be- 
ings. On  his  return  to  the  village,  the  islanders  showed 
him  some  ancient  stone  spear  and  arrow  heads,  and  adzes, 
which  they  had  discovered  in  various  parts  of  the  island. 

The  finding  of  these  stone  implements  on  the  lonely 
rock  of  Pitcairn  Island  is  a  curious  addition  to  our  knowl- 
edge, as  specimens  in  every  way  similar  to  these  have* 
been  discovered,  not  only  in  the  countries  of  Europe,  in 
Great  Britain,  but  also  in  America,  and  indeed  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  known  world.  In  most  of  these  locali- 
ties they  are  of  great  antiquity,  but  the  forms  found  at 
Pitcairn  resemble  those  which  were  in  use  in  Tahiti  and 
New  Zealand  when  first  discovered  by  us  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  and  are  identical  with  those  used  by 
the  Esquimaux  tribes  at  the  present  day.  Whatever  va- 
rieties may  exist  in  the  great  human  family,  one  race  at 
least  seems  to  have  carried  with  it,  as  its  members  spread 
over  the  surface  of  the  globe,  this  universal  custom,  the 

9* 


202  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

use  of  stone  implements  to  supply  the  wants  of  daily  life. 
The  type  is  the  same,  wherever  found  in  the  long-buried 
drift  of  past  ages.  It  is  probable  that  the  aboriginal  in- 
habitants, whose  presence  in  Pitcairn  is  indicated  by  these 
implements,  migrated  thither  from  some  of  the  adjacent 
islands  of  the  Pacific,  but  found  themselves  unable  to  re- 
main on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  food  and  water  for  the 
support  of  any  considerable  number  of  persons.  They 
doubtless  drifted  off  as  they  came,  on  some  species  of  raft, 
to  be  conveyed  to  any  island  to  which  the  winds  and  cur- 
rents should  waft  them.* 

How  soon  intercourse  with  a  superior  race,  and  the  in- 
troduction of  iron  among  these  uncivilized  people,  will  su- 
persede the  use  of  these  primitive  implements,  is  mention- 
ed by  Captain  Cook  in  his  last  voyage  to  the  Pacific  in 
1111.  At  that  date,  in  speaking  of  the  Tahitians,  he  says, 
"A  stone  hatchet  is  at  present  as  rare  a  thing  among  them 
as  an  iron  one  was  eight  years  ago,  and  a  chisel  of  bone  or 
stone  is  not  to  be  seen." 

The  departure  of  Captain  Worth  and  his  oflicers  was  a 
matter  of  great  regret  to  the  islanders ;  for  these  neces- 
sarily short  visits  (dependent  on  the  wind  being  in  a  fa- 
vorable quarter,  as  no  vessel  could  anchor)  were  to  them 
a  kind  of  jubilee,  which  varied  the  monotony  of  their  daily 
life,  and  often  formed  a  topic  of  conversation  for  months, 
and  even  for  years. 

The  arrival  of  the  Pandora,  Captain  James  Wood^.N., 
on  the  10th  of  July,  1849,  was  the  occasion  of  more  than 
usual  rejoicing.  She  brought  with  her  Mr.  Buffett,  who 
had  been  absent  for  a  year  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where 
he  had  gone  on  some  commercial  enterprise. 

The  following  narrative  by  Captain  Wood,  in  the  form 

*  See  further  information  on  the  subject  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 


THE  PITOAIIiN  ISLANDERS  IN  1849.  203 

of  a  letter,  gives  an  interesting  and  full  account  of  the 
island  and  the  inhabitants  at  that  period : 

"H.M.S.  Pandora,  July,  1849. 

"I  ran  on  till  very  close  to  the  island  (which  appeared 
in  the  moonlight  like  a.  high  rock,  with  its  summit  in  the 
clouds),  and  then  hove  to.  At  day-break  I  bore  up,  and  at 
seven  a.m.  was  near  enough  to  see  the  houses,  and  perceive 
there  was  a  heavy  swell  breaking  on  the  rocks.  We  fired 
a  gun,  which  soon  drew  attention ;  at  first  a  red  ensign 
and  then  a  white  flag  was  displayed  from  the  flag-staff  in 
front  of  the  school-house. 

"  The  village  is  on  the  northern  face  of  the  island,  and 
appeared  buried  in  trees,  but  the  cleared  field  also  showed 
out  well. 

"At  first  some  doubts  were  expressed  by  Mr.  Buffett  of 
the  possibility  of  boats  getting  through  the  surf,  but  the 
white  flag,  which  is  a  signal  that  landing  is  practicable, 
eased  my  mind  on  that  score,  and  soon  after  eight,  two 
whale-boats  were  seen  coming  off.  They  were  quite  laden 
with  men — a  fine,  hardy,  athletic  set  of  fellows  as  ever  I 
saw,  but  little  tinged  with  their  mother's  blood ;  indeed 
those  of  the  third  generation  are  nearly  as  white  as  Eu- 
ropeans. They  soon  dispersed  themselves  all  over  the 
ship,  as  eager  to  see  their  countrymen  as  ever,  indeed  they 
seemed  quite  beside  themselves.  Buffett's  meeting  with 
his  son,  a  fine  and  rather  handsome  young  man,  was  most 
affecting,  as  was  indeed  his  greeting  from  them  all.  '  It 
is  never  old  Buffett  come  back !'  was  passed  from  one  to 
the  other,  with  every  appearance  of  affection  for  him. 
Arthur  Quintal,  the  son  of  the  mutineer,  a  fine,  strong- 
made  man,  upwards  of  fifty,  with  an  honest,  open  counte- 
nance, was  the  senior  of  the  party ;  but  a  strapping  stout 
fellow,  John  Adams,  was  pilot  for  the  time :   this  berth 


204  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

they  take  in  rotation,  each  family  according  to  their  sen- 
iority, and  that  family  has  the  privilege  of  entertaining  the 
captain  when  on  shore.  When  asked  down  to  breakfast, 
in  the  midst  of  their  laughter  and  glee,  before  they  touch- 
ed any  thing  they  joined  their  hands,  and  in  a  devout  and 
unaffected  way  prayed  for  a  blessing  on  their  food.  This 
is  their  invariable  custom,  and,  like  much  we  saw  there, 
read  a  lesson  to  us  all  which  we  shall  not  easily  forget. 

"Arrangements  having  been  made  for  landing  Buffett's 
traps  (not  very  easily  accomplished,  owing  to  the  high  surf 
and  the  difficulty  of  getting  a  boat's  crew  together  to  take 
them),  I  at  last  saw  most  of  them  off,  and,  accompanied  by 
Buffett  and  some  of  my  officers,  pulled  in  towards  the  land- 
ing-place, which  is  in  a  small  cove  called  'Bounty  Bay.' 
The  wind  was  fresh  and  the  swell  high,  so  that  it  seemed 
to  me  when  I  got  to  the  spot  that  I  was  more  likely  to  go 
on  shore  out  of  the  boat  than  in  it ;  but  as  both  the  whale- 
boats  had  just  passed  in  safely  I  determined  to  try  it,  and 
in  two  trips  we  were  all  safely  deposited  on  the  beach. 
The  way  they  effect  a  landing  is  this — one  whose  experi- 
ence can  be  trusted  mounts  a  rock  that  commands  a  view 
of  the  sea,  and  watches  for  the  proper  moment,  when  at  a 
signal  from  him  the  boat,  which  has  been  lying  as  close  to 
the  breakers  as  possible,  makes  a  rush,  and,  by  taking  one 
of  the  less  heavy  breakers,  goes  flying  in  before  it,  fre- 
quently without  a  stroke  of  the  oars  being  necessary  ex- 
cept to  steer  her,  till  they  get  within  the  rocks,  when  all 
danger  is  over ;  but  as  this  turn  is  very  narrow  and  sharp, 
it  requires  skill  and  experience  to  get  a  boat  in  safely,  for 
a  trifling:  deviation  on  either  side  would  dash  the  boat  to 
pieces  on  the  rocks. 

"  The  beach  and  the  heights  above  were  lined  with  in- 
habitants (mostly  females),  with  Mr.  Nobbs,  pastor  and 
teacher,  at  their  head.     I  can  not  describe  the  scene  which 


THE  P1TCALUN  ISLANDERS  IN  1819.  205 

took  place  so  as  to  do  it  justice.  After  shaking  hands 
with  Mr.  Nobbs,  a  pretty-looking  girl  came  up  to  me,  and 
almost  shaking  my  hand  off,  said,  '  Thank  you,  sir,  for 
bringing  my  father  home,'  her  countenance  beaming  with 
joy.  All  now  crowded  round  me,  and  as  I  could  not  shake 
all  their  hands  at  once,  I  thought  it  better  to  kiss  them, 
and  they  appeared  to  like  this  as  well ;  their  warm  and 
simple  hearts  were  strangers  to  concealment,  and  they 
gave  themselves  up  with  the  most  complete  and  childish 
joy  to  seeing  a  man-of-war  off  their  island.  I  soon  found 
my  cap  ornamented  with  a  garland  of  flowers,  and  amidst 
laughter  and  jokes  we  began  to  ascend  the  cliffs.  This 
is  no  easy  task,  even  to  a  strong  man,  and  to  me  would 
have  been  quite  impracticable  had  not  Mr.  Nobbs  called 
to  one  of  the  young  ladies  to  come  and  help  me.  Two  or 
three  volunteered,  but  my  prop  and  support  was  Jemima 
Young,  a  stout  good-natured  girl,  who  seized  my  arm  and 
almost  carried  me  up  without  the  aid  of  my  feet,  and  this 
without  any  apparent  effort  on  her  part.  All  my  officers 
were  similarly  treated,  and  decorated  with  garlands,  not 
only  round  their  hats  but  their  necks.  In  this  array,  and 
almost  as  excited  as  themselves,  we  were  marched  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  or  cliff,  and  there  met  with  the  remainder 
of  the  community,  consisting  principally  of  the  elder  fe- 
males, and  those  with  young  children  in  their  arms. 

"  Here  another  scene  of  introduction  was  gone  through, 
and  amongst  others  I  was  introduced  to  the  only  remain- 
ing female  of  the  original  Tahitians.  She  is  very  old,  and 
has  lost  an  eye,  but  still  continues  to  walk  about.  From 
this  we  went  to  the  school-room,  the  path  leading  at  first 
through  a  grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  and  then  across  some 
nicely  cultivated  potato-fields.  Here  I  sat  for  some  time 
and  gave  the  letters  I  had  brought,  as  well  as  explained 
the  object  of  my  visit ;  but  I  do  not  think  much  attention 


206  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

was  paid  to  either  myself  or  Mr.  Nobbs,  who  read  one  of 
the  letters  addressed  to  them — they  were  all  too  much  ex- 
cited to  be  serious. 

"  The  school-room  or  house  is  a  long  room,  furnished 
with  cross-benches,  fitted  with  ink-stands,  etc. ;  and  at  the 
upper  end  a  square  compartment  is  formed  by  the  benches, 
with  a  table  and  seat  for  the  master,  and  against  the  end 
is  the  pulpit  or  reading-desk,  for  the  school-room  is  the 
church  on  Sundays.  Their  form  of  worship  is  the  Church 
of  England  ritual,  and  now  whilst  on  the  subject  I  can  not 
but  add  my  testimony  to  those  who  have  gone  before  me, 
as  to  the  excellent  moral  and  religious  character  of  these 
people.  Evil  and  crime  seem  unknown  amongst  them ; 
their  very  simplicity  and  open-hearted  kindness  towards 
us  showed  such  a  consciousness  of  innocence,  or  rather 
ignorance  of  evil,  that  familiarities  such  as  pass  between 
brothers  and  sisters  were  soon  established,  and  all  the 
freshness  and  warmth  of  their  hearts  had  free  scope  with- 
out a  thought  of  prudery  to  check  it. 

"  The  young  people  are  generally  good-looking,  some  of 
them  very  pretty ;  all  of  them  have  good  eyes  and  teeth, 
and  the  most  engaging  expression  of  countenance  I  ever 
saw ;  their  figures  are  good,  inclining  to  embonpoint,  but 
their  carriage  excellent,  and  a  most  charming  modesty 
characterizes  all  their  actions.  Their  dress  is  as  varied  as 
their  methods  of  obtaining  it,  but  the  most  useful  is  a  kind 
of  long  white  jacket  or  short  skirt  with  a  dark-colored 
wrapper,  which  is  fastened  round  the  waist  and  hangs 
down  to  the  ankles.  They  wear  no  shoes  nor  stockings, 
and  from  their  working  so  hard  in  the  fields  and  the 
mountainous  nature  of  the  country,  their  feet  are  large  and 
broad,  and  their  legs  very  stout.  Their  heads  are  uncov- 
ered, but  the  hair,  which  is  very  long  (a  dark  brown  or 
black),  is  kept  clean,  neat,  and  very  glossy  by  the  aid  of 


THE  PIT  CAIRN  ISLANDERS  IN  1849.  207 

cocoa-nut-oil,  which  they  contrive  to  scent  very  agreeably 
with  the  orange-blossom.  It  is  turned  up  behind  in  an  in- 
genious manner,  which  needs  no  comb  or  other  aid  to  keep 
it  in  its  place.  This,  they  say,  is  necessary  when  at  work 
in  the  fields,  or  going  through  the  woods ;  combs  also 
would  be  sadly  in  their  way  when  conveying  a  load  of 
yams,  and  they  pride  themselves  on  the  weight  they  are 
able  to  carry  from  the  landing-place  to  the  top  of  the  cliff 
— a  girl  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  will  carry  over  one  hun- 
dred-weight. They  had  once  two  donkeys  to  do  this  work, 
but  they  did  not  answer,  and  now  the  only  conveyance 
they  possess  is  a  kind  of  wheelbarrow. 

"After  I  left  the  school-room,  I  paid  visits  with  Mr. 
Nobbs  to  all  the  families  in  their  houses.  They  are  all 
lodged  alike  ;  the  houses  are  built  of  wood,  and  show  pro- 
gressive improvement  in  the  mechanical  part  of  them 
which  would  not  disgrace  an  European  tradesman.  They 
consist  of  one  long  room,  divided  by  two  or  more  partitions, 
and  are  raised  upon  huge  sleepers  placed  upon  large  stones, 
to  clear  them  some  two  or  two  and  a  half  feet  from  the 
ground.  They  all  lie  nearly  east  and  west,  with  the  door 
fronting  the  north,  and  the  same  front  contains  windows, 
forming  nearly  the  whole  side  of  the  house,  and  closed  by 
sliding  shutters  ;  their  roofs  have  a  moderately  high  pitch, 
and  are  formed  of  the  pandanis  leaf,  which  being  bent 
over  a  long  light  stick  forms  a  kind  of  board.  Several  of 
these  laid  nearly  close  form  an  excellent  thatch,  lasting 
from  five  to  seven  years.  The  side  opposite  the  windows 
is  occupied  by  bed-places,  which  are  similar  to  the  sleep- 
ing-berths in  the  old  packets.  These  have  again  a  smaller 
window,  or  scuttle,  as  a  sailor  would  call  it,  which  admits 
air  when  they  are  shut  out  from  the  common  room  or  hall 
by  drawing  the  curtains.  Their  bed-clothes  are,  without 
exception,  formed  of  the  tappa  cloth  both  white  and  tan- 


208  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

ned.  This  they  manufacture  themselves  from  the  bark  of 
the  paper-mulberry  tree,  and  till  lately  has  formed  the 
staple  article  of  their  clothes.  Most  of  the  houses  are 
now  ornamented  with  prints  and  looking-glasses.  One 
had  an  American  clock,  which  however  would  not  go,  nor 
did  its  owner  seem  to  care  whether  it  went  or  not ;  '  the 
sun,'  he  said,  *  was  the  best  time-piece.' 

"  They  rise  before  the  sun,  eat  when  they  are  hungry, 
sleep  when  they  are  tired,  and,  in  fact,  are  barred  by  no 
rules  as  to  the  disposal  of  their  time,  except  on  Sundays, 
when  they  attend  church  twice  at  stated  times,  and  on 
that  day  alone  Mr.  Nobbs  winds  up  his  watch,  and  sets  it, 
so  as  to  insure  punctuality ;  but  he  prefers  the  sun  as  a 
guide,  and  for  this  purpose  has  a  meridian  at  10  a.m.  and 
2  p.m.  marked  on  the  floor  of  his  house. 

"  I  went  to  visit  the  grave  of  old  John  Adams.  He  is 
buried  close  to  his  house,  with  a  daughter  and  grand- 
daughter lying  by  his  side.  A  stone  with  his  name  and 
the  date  of  his  death  is  placed  at  the  head.  From  thence 
I  visited  the  Bounty's  forge,  which  is  still  in  being,  with 
the  exception  of  the  bellows,  which  has  long  since  gone 
to  pieces :  the  anvil  had  lost  its  nose.  This  with  a  large 
copper  fish-kettle  are  the  only  considerable  remains  of  the 
Bounty  that  I  saw,  but  I  got  pieces  of  her  copper,  wood, 
etc.,  of  which  they  all  possessed  a  portion. 

"  I  dined  with  the  pilot,  John  Adams,  and  his  family ;  a 
boiled  fowl,  some  pig  and  yams  and  sweet  potatoes,  with 
roasted  bread-fruit,  and  a  cake  made  of  yams  and  plan- 
tains beaten  up  and  baked  in  leaves,  formed  our  repast. 
Knives  and  forks  were,  as  well  as  spoons  and  tumblers, 
not  wanting  at  the  table,  which  was  covered  with  a  clean 
cloth,  and  dishes  and  plates  seemed  by  no  means  scarce. 
This  was  a  great  improvement  since  Captain  Beechey's 
visit,  when  but  three  of  the  latter  conveniences  were  to  be 


THE  PIT  CAIRN  INLANDERS  IN  18i9.  209 

found.  The  women  do  not  eat  with  the  men  when  stran- 
gers are  present,  so  my  kind  hostess  and  cook  and  her 
pretty  daughter  had  only  the  cold  remains  of  our  dinner. 
The  mode  of  cooking  is  well  worth  notice,  and  answers 
admirably.  A  hole  in  the  ground  forms  an  oven,  the  bot- 
tom of  which  is  covered  wifh  fresh  plantain  leaves; 
heated  stones  are  then  spread  over  and  covered  with 
leaves;  on  these  are  laid  the  articles  which  are  to  be 
cooked,  wrapped  in  leaves,  but  potatoes  and  yams  with- 
out any  covering.  Some  more  hot  stones  are  then  placed 
among  the  meat,  etc.,  and  the  whole  covered  with  another 
large  layer  of  leaves ;  and  when  the  top  has  been  duly 
covered  with  green  leaves  in  bunches,  a  mass  of  dirty- 
looking  rubbish  is  piled  upon  it  so  as  to  keep  in  all  heat. 
This,  they  confessed,  was  a  very  dirty  plan,  but  it  answer- 
ed the  purpose  admirably,  and  from  the  quantity  of  clean 
leaves  all  over,  no  dust  can  get  to  the  food.  Twenty 
minutes  to  half  an  hour  suffices  to  cook  a  fowl  or  small 
piece  of  meat,  and  it  is  only  necessary  in  opening  the  oven 
to  be  careful  not  to  let  the  dust  pass  the  outer  covering 
of  green  leaves,  and  all  is  clean  and  wholesome  as  if  cook- 
ed in  our  way. 

"  In  the  evening  we  had  a  general  meeting  to  consider 
the  offers  we  made  them,  this  being  the  only  time  they 
could  all  attend  ;  field  labor,  cooking,  and  other  necessary 
work  keeping  them  employed  during  the  day.  They  all 
expressed  themselves  pleased  and  thankful  for  the  interest 
our  Government  evinced  in  their  welfare,  but  it  was  evi- 
dent that  none  of  them  had  as  yet  made  up  their  minds 
to  the  necessary  evil  of  a  removal.  They  wished  for  time 
to  consider  the  matter.  However,  they  promised  to  give 
some  kind  of  answer  next  day,  but  even  that  they  found 
impossible,  so  they  promised  to  send  an  answer  by  the 
next  vessel  which  called   at  the  island.     I  myself  think 


210  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

there  is  no  necessity  for  any  of  them  leaving  the  island 
at  present.  They  allow  that  there  is  much  land  unculti- 
vated, and  a  more  equal  distribution  of  it  would  make 
what  they  have  go  much  farther. 

"  The  plan  they  go  on,  and  which  could  not  now  be  dis- 
turbed without  some  injustice,  is  this :  The  original  set- 
tlers, the  mutineers,  marked  out  and  divided  the  land  into 
nine  equal  parts ;  these  parts  were  again  equally  subdi- 
vided among  their  children,  and  again  the  children  of  the 
third  generation  have  also  a  portion  of  their  subdivisions. 
This,  though  apparently  fair  enough  at  first,  has  led  to 
evils  they  did  not  anticipate ;  for  instance,  one  of  the  orig- 
inal settlers  had  a  family  of  eleven,  his  ninth  was  therefore 
divided  into  eleven  parts.  Again,  one  of  his  daughters 
married  and  has  a  family  of  eleven,  so  that  her  children 
will  have  but  the  eleventh  of  her  eleventh  portion ;  where- 
as, another  of  the  first  lot,  who  has  only  one  son  and 
daughter  (the  latter  of  whom  survives  unmarried),  left  by 
the  same  rule  the  whole  of  his  ninth  to  her,  so  that  she 
now  has  as  much  land  as  twenty-two  of  the  first-named 
family.  This  system  can  not  last  long,  unless  the  land- 
lords emigrate,  which  they  seem  very  unwilling  to  do, 
though  this  want  of  sufficient  ground  is  a  bar  to  many  of 
them  marrying. 

"The  children  generally  run  alone  at  a  twelvemonth, 
and  are  not  swaddled  or  tormented  as  they  are  in  Eng- 
land, in  consequence  of  which  they  are  strong,  independ- 
ent-looking imps ;  not  an  ill-formed  or  deformed  child  was 
to  be  seen,  the  only  cripple  being  Mr.  Nobbs's  eldest  son, 
who  had  become  so  from  a  gun-shot  wound  in  his  hip. 
They  go  into  the  water  when  very  young,  and  this  habit, 
of  which  they  are  very  fond,  as  well  as  the  scanty  allow- 
ance of  garments,  tans  their  skin,  and  renders  them  some 
shades  darker  than  their  original  color.     The  women  are 


THE  PITCAI11N  ISLANDERS  IN  1849.  211 

said  to  be  as  expert  as  the  men  in  making  their  way- 
through  the  surf;  some  of  them  are  able  to  swim  entirely- 
round  the  island. 

"  I  walked  up  the  hill  some  little  way  next  morning  to 
a  pool  they  call  Brown's  Water.  This  supplies  them  with 
drinking-water,  which  is  brought  to  the  village  by  the 
women  and  girls.  The  path  was  rather  steep  and  slip- 
pery from  the  over-night's  rain.  The  pool  is  situated  in  a 
small  natural  hollow,  and  is  fed  from  a  spring.  It  never 
increases  or  decreases. 

"  The  trees  we  saw  on  the  road  were  the  pandanus,  ban- 
yans, cocoa,  bread-fruit  (a  very  large  tree),  a  fern,  the 
mountain  plantain,  some  species  of  acacia,  orange  and 
lime-trees,  etc.  Besides  these,  they  have  the  vhe-tree,  but 
it  is  now  very  scarce,  as  are  also  the  two  most  valuable 
trees  on  the  island,  of  which  they  build  their  houses,  the 
tafano  or  flower-wood,  and  the  aruni  or  mero.  The  for- 
mer is  a  yellow  wood,  very  hard  and  durable  when  not 
exposed  to  wet — of  this  most  of  the  joiner's  work  is  done. 
The  latter  wood  is  in  principal  use ;  it  is  very  dark,  like 
rosewood,  very  durable,  standing  exposure  to  sun,  wind, 
and  rain  for  many  years  without  showing  any  symptoms 
of  decay.  The  first  settlers'  houses  were  made  entirely  of 
it,  and  are  as  sound  now  as  the  day  they  were  erected, 
though  without  paint  or  covering  of  any  kind:  indeed, 
Mr.  IsTobbs's  house  and  the  school  are  the  only  two  that 
have  been  painted  or  whitewashed  even  in  part. 

"  The  soil  is  very  rich  and  prolific.  I  was  shown  a  field 
that  for  ten  years  had  yielded  two  crops  per  annum,  with- 
out suffering  any  deterioration,  and  yet  no  manure  was 
needed.  The  soil  appears  a  mixture  of  mould  and  volcan- 
ic matter ;  it  has  a  considerable  portion  of  iron  in  it,  as  its 
red  color  abundantly  testifies.  The  rocks  are  composed 
of  basalt  or  green  stone,  and  I  should  say  there  was  lava 


212  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

on  the  island,  as  they  told  me  of  a  stone  which  rings  like 
metal  when  struck. 

"  There  is  but  one  kind  of  bird,  a  sort  of  sparrow.  I 
tried  to  get  a  specimen  of  it,  but  there  was  not  time  to 
catch  one.  Sea-birds  come  there  to  breed,  but  there  are 
so  many  looking  out  for  them  that  they  seldom  show 
themselves.  I  took  them  some  sheep,  which  I  hope  will 
thrive.  Lizards  are  plentiful.  They  are  plagued  by  a 
caterpillar  which  destroys  their  peas  and  beans,  so  as  to 
render  it  almost  useless  to  cultivate  them,  but  a  bean  was 
introduced  some  little  time  back  which  has  spread  won- 
derfully, and  now  grows  wild  all  over  the  place,  supplying 
them  with  a  wholesome,  agreeable  addition  to  their  food 
seven  months  in  a  year.  Flies  are  very  troublesome,  and 
they  have  also  had  mosquitoes  since  their  return  from  Ta- 
hiti, of  which  they  much  complain.  Cockroaches  are  also 
plentiful  and  destructive. 

"After  having  had  as  many  young  ladies  to  see  the 
ship  as  the  boats  could  conveniently  carry,  and  made 
them  all  very  sea-sick,  received  my  letters,  and  supplied 
my  men  with  a  good  stock  of  yams,  I  took  leave  of  these 
kind  and  simple-hearted  people  with  many  regrets  and 
good  wishes.  Among  the  younger  portion,  many  had  con- 
trived to  establish  flirtations,  which,  though  short  enough, 
brought  long  faces  and  wet  eyes  at  parting,  and  many 
were  the  locks  of  hair,  etc.,  which  changed  owners,  and 
the  promises  of  writing  by  the  first  opportunity.  In  this 
I  believe  them  sincere,  as  I  received  whole  heaps  of  letters 
from  them,  intrusted  to  the  care  of  the  officers  of  almost 
every  man-of-war  that  had  been  at  Pitcairn  for  some  time 
back.  They,  in  fact,  look  upon  us  as  their  fellow-country- 
men, and  a  few  hours'  acquaintance  with  them  establishes 
a  friendship  which,  though  not  likely  to  be  renewed  per- 
sonally in  this  world,  I  feel  convinced  will  last  with  their 


GALLANT  CONDUCT  OF  OEORQE  ADAMS.  213 

lives;  for  the  questions  they  asked  about  those 'who  had 
visited  them,  and  the  interest  they  took  in  all  that  con- 
cerned them,  clearly  showed  that,  however  brief  their 
stay,  they  had  not  been  forgotten. 

"As  it  was  dark  when  I  made  sail,  I  gave  them  at  their 
request  a  gun,  burnt  two  blue-lights,  and  sent  up  a  rocket, 
as  a  farewell  signal ;  and  I  must  say,  in  common  with  all 
on  board,  I  felt  more  regret  in  parting  with  the  Pitcairn 
Islanders  than  I  had  in  parting  with  any  one  since  leav- 
ing England." 

In  the  following  month,  August  11th,  the  Daphne,  Cap- 
tain Fanshawe,  arrived,  and  brought  them,  as  a  present 
from  their  friends  in  Valparaiso,  some  rabbits,  and  a  fine 
bull  and  cow.  The  younger  islanders,  who  had  never  seen 
animals  of  such  large  size,  were  much  alarmed  at  the  lat- 
ter, and  no  one  seemed  to  appreciate  the  present.  Pit- 
cairn, from  its  confined  limits  and  mountainous  character, 
was  not  suited  for  the  maintenance  of  oxen  or  any  large 
quadruped,  and  one  of  them  soon  fell  over  the  rocks  and 
was  killed.  This  accident  caused  no  regret  among  the 
people,  as  they  would  make  no  use  of  the  milk,  preferring 
that  of  the  cocoa-nut.  So  much  did  they  value  these 
palms,  that  they  planted  a  considerable  number  on  the 
west  side  of  the  island,  where  they  continue  to  flourish 
luxuriantly. 

In  September  of  this  year  an  instance  of  gallant  conduct 
in  one  of  the  islanders  occurred,  which  ought  not  to  be 
omitted,  as  it  also  evinces  an  unusual  amount  of  disinter- 
estedness. An  Australian  ship,  bound  for  California  with 
some  emigrants  on  board,  touched  at  the  island.  Many 
of  the  passengers  were  desirous  of  landing,  and,  in  their 
eagerness  to  do  so,  crowded  the  boat  so  that  some  persons 
fell  over  into  the  water.  They  were  soon  saved,  but  one 
little  child  was  unobserved,  and  fast  sinking,  when  George 


214  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Adams,  who  had  gone  on  board  with  fruit  and  vegetables 
to  sell,  noticing  the  accident,  and  the  danger  the  child  was 
in,  plunged  overboard,  and  brought  the  little  creature  up 
safely.  The  delighted  parents  could  not  sufficiently  ex- 
press their  gratitude  to  the  young  man,  and  the  father, 
running  down  to  his  cabin,  returned  on  deck  with  a  bag 
of  dollars,  which  he  entreated  him  to  accept.  Surprised 
at  the  offer,  as  he  considered  he  had  only  done  his  duty  in 
saving  the  life  of  a  fellow-creature,  Adams  refused  it  or 
any  other  compensation,  but  was  perfectly  willing  to  sell 
the  produce  of  his  garden  at  a  fair  price. 

This  same  year,  1849,  Reuben  Nobbs  embarked  in  a 
Californian  vessel  bound  for  Valparaiso,  with  the  laudable 
intention  of  endeavoring  to  procure  mercantile  employ- 
ment, as  his  lameness  incapacitated  him  for  laborious  oc- 
cupation in  Pitcairn.  He  was  engaged  as  a  clerk  by  a 
Mr.  Miller,  to  whom  his  good  conduct  and  assiduity  gave 
great  satisfaction.  Unfortunately,  his  delicate  health  was 
a  cause  of  great  anxiety  to  his  family  and  friends  at  Pit- 
cairn, particularly  to  his  mother,  who  was  unceasing  in  her 
entreaties  that  he  should  return  home. 

January  23d,  1850,  was  a  jubilee  day,  being  the  sixtieth 
anniversary  of  the  arrival  of  the  mutineers  at  Pitcairn,  and 
was  celebrated  with  great  ceremony  and  rejoicing.  Well 
might  the  existing  generation  be  proud  of  the  occasion 
and  of  the  happy  state  of  the  community — descendants  of 
men  whose  illegal  acts  had  compelled  them  to  seek  con- 
cealment from  the  outer  world.  Of  that  generation  all 
had  passed  away,  oppressors  and  oppressed,  the  white 
men  and  their  colored  associates.  Violence  had  ceased, 
and  was  succeeded  by  those  Christian  feelings  resulting 
from  a  pious  education ;  and  this  anniversary  was  cele- 
brated in  as  fair  a  land,  and  by  a  people  as  free  from  guile 
as  any  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 


SIXTIETH  ANNIVERSARY.  215 

At  day-break  the  rejoicings  began.  They  consisted, 
first,  in  firing  the  one  remaining  available  gun*  belonging 
to  the  Bounty,  which,  five  years  before,  had  been  brought 
up  with  great  labor  from  the  watery  bed  in  which  it  had 
lain  for  fifty-five  years.  Although  honey-combed  and 
rusty  from  the  action  of  the  water,  it  was,  nevertheless, 
mounted,  to  be  fired  on  all  grand  occasions.  All  work 
was  suspended  for  that  day ;  there  were  prayers ;  the 
union-jack  was  hoisted;  the  whole  community  were  in 
great  excitement ;  and  a  public  dinner  was  prepared,  to 
which  all  the  grown-men  sat  down  ;  but  not  the  women — 
for  they  still  retained  the  Tahitian  custom  of  eating  sepa- 
rately. At  the  conclusion  of  the  banquet,  three  cheers 
were  given  for  the  queen,  three  for  the  British  Govern- 
ment, three  for  the  ladies  and  absent  friends,  and  a  vote 
was  passed  that  the  ceremony  should  be  observed  annual- 
ly. The  joyful  day  ended,  as  it  had  begun,  with  prayer 
and  thanksgiving,  the  firing  of  muskets,  and  of  the  Boun- 
ty's gun. 

In  the  following  March,  a  circumstance  occurred  which 
proved  of  much  benefit  to  the  Pitcairn  people — although 
very  annoying  to  a  party  of  gentlemen,  consisting  of  Bar- 
on Thierry,  Mr.  Carleton,  Mr.  Brodie,  and  two  others,  who 
had  landed  from  the  bark  Noble,  with  the  intention  of 
passing  a  few  hours  in  exploring  the  island.  Their  ves- 
sel sailed  during  their  absence,  and  they  were  left  behind. 
She  had  arrived,  short  of  water,  on  Sunday,  a  day  on 
which  nothing  will  induce   the  islanders  to  barter,  and 

*  "  Guiltless  of  blood  (during  the  time  so  many  thousands  of  mankind 
in  Europe  had  become  '  food  for  powder '),  one  only  of  these  guns  had  re- 
sumed its  original  use,  at  least  the  innoxious  portion  of  it,  belching  forth 
fire  and  smoke,  and  making  the  island  reverberate  with  its  bellowing ;  the 
other  is  condemned  to  silence,  having  been  spiked  by  some  of  the  Bounty's 
crew." — Remark  of  Arthur  Quintal,  Chief  Magistrate,  inserted  in  the 
"Island  Register,"  of  the  date  23d  of  January,  1850. 


216       -  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

hardly  to  convey  provisions  to  any  ships.  But  as  the 
people  on  board  were  suffering,  they  agreed  to  supply 
them  with  sufficient  for  their  present  urgent  need,  and 
promised  an  ample  supply  of  water,  yams,  potatoes,  and 
other  vegetables  on  the  morrow. 

To  the  consternation  of  the  visitors,  who  in  any  case 
only  expected  to  pass  the  night  on  shore,  the  wind  had 
changed  before  morning,  which  compelled  the  captain  to 
get  clear  of  the  island,  and  the  ship  was  seen  fifteen  miles 
off,  as  they  supposed,  beating  up ;  they  therefore  employed 
the  day  in  exploring  the  island,  visiting  The  Rope,  etc., 
the  vessel  being  still  in  sight.  For  two  days  she  appear- 
ed to  stand  off  and  on,  but  the  weather  being  very  unset- 
tled, the  captain  probably  thought  it  dangerous  to  ap- 
proach the  rocks,  or  even  to  remain  in  the  vicinity,  and 
accordingly  pursued  his  voyage. 

The  kind-hearted  islanders  would  willingly  have  taken 
out  their  boats  to  try  and  overtake  her ;  but  the  wind  was 
rising,  and  the  surf  so  strong  that  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible to  pass  through  it.  The  hospitality  with  which 
the  strangers  were  treated  in  some  measure  compensated 
for  their  unexpected  detention,  and  they  soon  employed 
themselves  in  various  ways  to  pass  the  time  agreeably. 
Mr.  Carleton,  who  sang  well,  and  was  a  good  musician, 
undertook  to  train  a  choir,  with  a  view  of  improving  their 
singing  in  church.  In  the  course  of  a  fortnight,  so  success- 
ful was  his  instruction,  and  so  apt  were  his  pupils,  that  not 
only  was  the  part-singing  in  the  service  well  performed, 
but  quartettes,  glees,  and  catches,  which  they  were  con- 
stantly practising,  would  often  float  upon  the  evening 
breeze.  The  fine  voices  and  pleasing  singing  of  the  isl- 
anders have  been  constantly  mentioned,  with  many  enco- 
miums by  succeeding  visitors. 

Mr.  Brodie,  who  employed  his  time  in  making  observa- 


ANTIQUITIES  ON  PITCAIBN  ISLAND.  217 

tions  on  the  productions  and  antiquities  of  the  island, 
gives  some  interesting  information  concerning  it,*  and 
says,  "  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  this  island  was  former- 
ly inhabited,  although  the  native  race  must  have  been  ex- 
tinct many  years  prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  Bounty.  Bu- 
rial-places are  still  to  be  seen,  and  large  flat  hewn  stones 
remain  in  different  parts  of  the  island,  which  must  have 
been  for  pavements  in  front  of  their  houses,  such  as  are  still 
in  use  among  other  tribes  in  the  South  Seas.  These  stones, 
when  observed  by  the  men  in  the  Bounty,  had  some  very 
large  trees  growing  up  among  them,  by  which,  in  many 
places,  they  were  displaced.  Stone  images  were  likewise 
found,  supposed  to  have  been  objects  of  worship ;  they 
were  made  of  a  hardish  coarse  stone.  Stone  spear-heads 
and  small  axes  are  very  common  in  the  island,  and  round 
stone  balls  of  about  two  pounds  in  weight  are  not  unfre- 
quently  found  when  working  up  new  ground. 

"The  aborigines  most  probably  drifted  here  upon  a 
raft,  it  having  been  the  custom  many  years  ago,  especially 
at  the  Gambier  Islands,  which  are  to  the  west-north-west 
about  three  hundred  miles  from  Pitcairn  Island,  and  of 
many  of  the  Low  Islands,  to  put  those  vanquished  in  war 
on  a  raft,  when  the  wind  was  off  the  island,  and  send  them 
adrift  to  whatever  place  they  could  reach.  Two  actual 
instances  of  this  practice  were  mentioned  to  me  by  Mr. 
Nobbs  himself;  one  came  under  his  cognizance  when  he 
was  at  the  Gambier  Islands."! 

*  Brodie's  "Pitcairn  Island  and  the  Islanders." 

t  For  an  account  of  Mr.  Nobbs's  stay  at  the  Gambier  Islands,  see  Ap- 
pendix B. 

10 


218  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Arrival  of  Rear-admiral  Fairfax  Moresby. — H.M.S.  Portland  at  Pitcairn 
Island. — Mr.  Nobbs  proceeds  to  England. — His  Ordination  as  Chap- 
lain.— Return  to  Pitcairn. — Death  of  Reuben  Nobbs. 

Although,  as  we  have  seen,  several  ships  of  war  had  by 
this  time  (1851)  touched  at  the  island,  no  British  admiral 
had  as  yet  paid  it  a  visit.  Rear-admiral  Fairfax  Mores- 
by, now  on  the  Pacific  Station,  had  evinced  unusual  inter- 
est in  the  Pitcairn  people,  and,  thus  encouraged,  the  wom- 
en of  the  island  made  a  formal  request  that  he  would 
"  give  them  the  honor  of  welcoming  to  their  little  island  " 
so  important  a  representative  of  her  Majesty.  Fourteen 
of  the  female  inhabitants  on  their  own  behalf,  and  that  of 
the  other  women  on  the  island,  signed  the  following  letter 
to  the  admiral : 

"[Copy.] 

"Pitcairn,  July  28th,  1851. 
"Honorable  Sir, — From  the  kind  interest  you  have 
evinced  for  our  little  community,  in  the  letter  which  you 
have  sent  to  our  excellent  and  worthy  pastor  Mr.  Nobbs, 
we  are  emboldened  to  send  you  the  following  request, 
which  is,  that  you  will  visit  us  before  you  leave  this  sta- 
tion, or  if  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  do  so,  certainly  we,  as 
loyal  subjects  of  our  queen,  ought  to  be  visited  annually, 
if  not  oftener,  by  one  of  her  Majesty's  ships  of  war.  We 
have  never  had  the  pleasure  of  welcoming  an  English  ad- 
miral to  our  little  island,  and  we  therefore  earnestly  so- 
licit a  visit  from  you.  How  inexpressibly  happy  shall  we 
be  if  you  should  think  fit  to  grant  this  our  warmest  wish  ! 
We  trust  that  our  very  secluded  and  isolated  position,  and 
the  very  few  visits  we  have  of  late  had  from  British  ships 


VISIT  OF  ADMIRAL  MORESBY.  219 

of  war,  will  be  sufficient  apology  for  our  addressing  the 
above  request  to  you.  With  fervent  prayers  for  your 
present  and  future  happiness,  and  for  that  of  our  queen  and 
nation,  we  remain,  honored  sir,  your  sincere  and  affection- 
ate well-wishers, 

"Caroline  Adams,        Hannah  Young, 
Dorcas  Young,  Nancy  Quintal, 

Sarah  M'Koy,  Susan  Quintal, 

Sarah  Adams,  Louisa  Quintal, 

Phoebe  Adams,  Ruth  Quintal, 

Jemima  Young,  Rachel  Evans, 

Rebecca  Christian,    Sarah  Nobbs." 

This  invitation,  so  frankly  given,  was  cordially  accepted 
by  their  constant  and  kind  friend  the  admiral,  and  this 
visit  had  an  important  influence  on  the  prospects  and 
well-being  of  the  islanders  and  their  pastor.  The  follow- 
ing graphic  account  of  so  unusual  an  occurrence  as  the 
arrival  of  a  British  admiral  is  written  by  Mr.  Nobbs,  the 
admirable  chronicler  of  all  remarkable  events  in  the  an- 
nals of  the  island : 

"  On  the  7th  of  August,  1852  (at  noon),  a  vessel  was  re- 
ported, which  at  sunset  was  strongly  suspected  of  being  a 
ship  of  war.  The  hours  of  the  night  passed  tediously  away, 
and  before  sunrise  next  morning  several  of  our  people 
were  seated  on  the  precipice  in  front  of  the  town,  anxious- 
ly awaiting  the  report  of  a  gun  from  the  ship,  which  would 
give  positive  confirmation  to  the  over-night  suspicion  of 
her  being  a  ship  of  war.  Nor  were  they  kept  long  in  sus- 
pense :  the  booming  of  a  cannon  electrified  the  town,  and 
the  whole  community  were  thrown  into  a  state  of  intense 
excitement,  more  especially  as  it  was  quickly  observed 
that  this  ship  wore  an  admiral's  flag.  Our  boat  repaired 
on  board,  and,  after  a  short  time,  another  from  the  ship  was 
seen  approaching  the  shore.  The  teacher  and  some  others 
went  to  the  landing-place,  and  had  the  honor  and  pleasure 


220  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

of  welcoming  to  Pitcairn  Rear-admiral  Moresby,  command- 
er in-chief,  the  first  officer  of  that  rank  that  ever  visited  Pit- 
cairn. The  admiral  received  our  greetings  of  welcome  in 
a  most  urbane  manner,  and  both  himself  and  his  secretary, 
Mr.  Fortescue  Moresby,  the  admiral's  son,  were  pleased  to 
express  themselves  much  gratified  with  all  they  saw  and 
heard.  The  admiral  attended  Divine  service,  and  was  evi- 
dently surprised  at  the  improvement  the  people  had  made 
in  singing  by  note,  especially  as  their  friend  Carleton  had 
so  very  limited  a  time  for  instructing  them. 

"In  the  afternoon  the  Rev.  Mr.  Holman  read  prayers, 
and  preached  a  sermon  most  appropriate  to  the  occasion 
from  1  Cor.  chap,  xv.,  last  verse." 

We  shall  now  insert  a  letter  written  home  by  Mr.  For- 
tescue Moresby,  describing  the  islanders  at  the  time  of  the 
visit,  and  the  impression  their  simplicity  and  unaffected 
manners  made  on  the  minds  of  all  on  board  : 

"August,  1854. 

"  Mr.  George  Hunn  Nobbs,  the  pastor,  met  us  at  the 
landing-place,  and  we  at  once  ascended  the  cliffs  by  a 
steep  winding  path  to  a  plantation  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  call- 
ed the  Market-place,  where  the  trade  is  carried  on.  Sev- 
eral of  the  islanders  met  us,  and  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome. 
Generally  all  the  inhabitants  assemble  here  to  welcome 
the  officers  of  a  man-of-war,  but  as  it  was  Sunday,  and 
early,  they  had  not  arrived,  so  we  continued  our  way  by  a 
pretty  path  winding  through  the  trees  to  the  town,  meet- 
ing here  and  there  small  detachments  coming  to  greet  us. 
These  all  followed  in  our  wake,  and  by  the  time  we  reach- 
ed Mr.  Nobbs's  cottage,  which  is  situated  at  the  opposite 
end  of  the  town,  we  had  pretty  well  all  the  people  with  us. 
Never  were  seen  so  many  happy  smiling  faces,  all  eager  to 
look  at  the  first  admiral  that  ever  came  to  their  happy 
island,  but  not  one  tried  to  push  his  way  or  make  any  at- 


THE  PIT  CAIRN  ISLANDERS  IN  1854.  221 

tempt  to  get  before  another:  if  we  said  a  kind  word  to 
any  of  them  they  looked  happy  and  pleased,  and  we  did 
not  neglect  to  do  so. 

"  I  showed  them  a  picture  of  the  admiral,  which  pleased 
them  very  much  indeed,  and  was  quite  a  little  treasure  in 
their  eyes,  so  I  gave  it  to  Mr.  Nobbs  to  keep,  and  let  them 
see  it  when  they  wanted.  Jemima  Young,  a  fine  girl,  very 
stout,  not  pretty,  but  with  an  amiable  face,  made  me  her 
property,  because  before  coming  here  I  had  written  her  a 
note,  and  I  was  forthwith  introduced  to  all  of  the  girls. 
There  is  not  one  in  whose  face  good-humor,  virtue,  amia- 
bility, and  kindness  does  not  beam,  and  consequently  not 
one  whose  face  is  not  pleasing.  It  was  now  church-time, 
so  away  we  all  went  to  church.  Mr.  Nobbs  officiated,  and 
read  the  prayers  earnestly  and  impressively :  the  most  sol- 
emn attention  was  paid  by  all.  They  sang  two  hymns 
in  magnificent  style,  and  really  I  have  never  heard  any 
church-singing  in  any  part  of  the  world  that  could  equal 
it,  except  at  cathedrals,  and  the  whole  of  the  credit  is  due 
to  Mr.  Carleton,  who  was  left  behind  by  accident  from  a 
whaler.  Mr.  Nobbs  gave  us  a  good  sermon  from  St.  John 
i.,  40-42. 

"After  the  sermon  we  all  adjourned  to  the  market- 
place, to  see  the  other  boats  land  with  the  first  lot  of  offi- 
cers. The  sea  was  now  pretty  high,  and  on  one  trip  the 
boat  was  turned  over.  As  soon  as  they  joined  us,  we  all 
returned  to  the  town,  and  passed  our  time  quietly  con- 
versing until  afternoon  service.  Mr.  Holman,  our  chap- 
lain, officiated,  and  preached  us  an  excellent  sermon  from  1 
Cor.  xv.,  58.  He  pointed  out  that  the  good  conduct  of  the 
islanders  had  made  them  respected,  earnestly  exhorted 
them  to  continue  to  fight  the  good  fight,  warned  them  of 
the  trials  and  temptations  of  the  world  compared  with  the 
comforts  of  their  little  island,  expressed  his  gratification 


222  THE  MUTINEEMS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

at  the  Opportunity  afforded  him,  and  then  said  farewell. 
That  evening  I  took  a  walk  up  the  mountains,  with  Jemi- 
ma Young  and  Susan  Quintal.  We  conversed  on  the  ser- 
mons and  other  subjects,  and  I  was  quite  astonished  at 
their  intelligence,  and  the  answers  they  gave,  making  use 
of  many  expressions  that  I  should  have  thought  them 
quite  ignorant  of,  particularly  Susan ;  she  is  very  clever, 
and  can  repeat  a  great  deal  of  Milton. 

"  Every  family  has  a  regular  turn  to  entertain  the  cap- 
tain of  any  ship  that  arrives.  It  is  thought  a  great  priv- 
ilege, and  all  are  anxious  to  do  so,  but  a  dispute  on  the 
subject  is  never  known.  If  the  ship  should  be  a  man-of- 
war,  then  the  fortunate  individual  considers  himself  the 
luckiest  of  the  lucky,  and  prepares  for  a  grand  feast.  The 
officers  are  all  billeted  off  to  different  families,  because  it 
makes  the  cooking  and  attendance  easier,  and  they  say  the 
officers  talk  more,  consequently  they  obtain  more  informa- 
tion. The  most  implicit  confidence  is  placed  in  English 
officers;  no  restraint  is  thought  necessaVy,  and  the  girls 
walk  about  with  them  by  day  or  night,  alone  or  together. 
I  was  generally  accompanied  by  one  or  two  with  their 
arms  round  me;  almost  as  often  by  three  or  four.  Cap- 
tain Chads,  and  one  or  two  more  who  remained  on  shore 
as  long  as  I  did,  were  similarly  attended.  All  the  time 
the  stream  of  fun  and  laughter  was  uninterrupted,  but 
their  demeanor  is  so  virtuous,  modest,  and  natural,  while 
they  show  so  much  affection,  that  I  could  not  help  feeling 
quite  a  love  towards  them  all ;  and  I  feel  convinced  that 
the  most  hard-hearted  villain  and  the  greatest  reprobate 
must  loathe  himself  and  detest  his  own  sins  in  contempla- 
ting the  high  moral  standard  to  which  these  simple  island- 
ers have  attained.  The  delight  and  pleasure  our  compa- 
ny seemed  to  give  them  could  hardly  be  believed.  They 
could  not  restrain  such  expressions  as  the  following,  all 


THE  PITCAIRN  ISLANDERS  IN  1854.  223 

the  time  clinging  round  us  and  looking  up  into  our  faces  : 
'Ah,  I  do  love  the  English  so !'  *  How  good,  how  kind 
you  are  to  come  and  see  us.'  '  Oh,  I  do  love  you  so  !'  and 
it  was  evident  to  see  the  pleasure  that  was  in  their  good 
hearts  by  their  faces.  This  familiarity  only  exists  with 
English  officers,  who  have  by  their  right  and  steady  con- 
duct tried  to  deserve  so  high  a  mark  of  esteem.  Success- 
ful they  have  been,  for  but  one  person  rises  above  us  in 
their  estimation,  and  that  is  Her  Majesty,  who  is  more 
loved  here  than  in  any  other  part  of  her  wide  dominions. 

"Monday. — At  day-break  we,  accompanied  by  a  troop 
of  young  girls,  walked  to  the  highest  ridge  on  the  island, 
and  obtained  a  splendid  view  of  the  settlement  and  whole 
island.  We  also  got  a  good  idea  of  the  risk  the  men  run 
while  hunting  the  goats.  It  is  wonderful  how  they  can 
cling  on,  for  to  our  weak  heads  it  appeared  a  feat  to  stand 
on  the  edge  and  look  down.  I  said  to  one, '  You  can  not 
go  down  there ;'  he  immediately  clung  to  the  side,  and  in 
a  moment  was  six  or  eight  feet  down — proof  that  he  could 
accomplish  the  remaining  three  hundred  feet.  We  had 
great  fun  coming  back,  running  with  the  girls  down  the 
steep  hills,  etc. ;  but  we  were  quite  amused  to  see  with 
what  care  those  appointed  to  take  care  of  the  admiral  per- 
formed their  task,  helping  him  up  any  difficult  places,  and 
they  were  not  weak  young  ladies.  At  last  we  got  down, 
and  had  a  splendid  breakfast  of  yams,  done  in  two  or  three 
different  ways,  bananas,  oranges,  cocoa-nuts,  fowls,  and 
pork. 

"After  breakfast,  all  the  girls  that  could  be  spared  we 
took  on  board  to  see  the  ship,  and  notwithstanding  they 
were  all  sick  before  they  got  on  board,  and  continued  so, 
they  still  maintained  their  cheerfulness,  and  in  the  inter- 
vals ran  about  and  looked  at  every  thing.  We  made 
them   dance  a   country  dance ;  but  the   band   was  their 


224  THE  MUTINEEBS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

great  treat,  for  it  was  the  first  ever  seen,  and  occupied  a 
great  share  of  their  attention.  They  also  sang  us  several 
of  their  beautiful  songs,  and  '  God  save  the  Queen,'  and 
they  sing  it  better  than  I  can  pretend  to  describe.  We 
got  on  shore  about  4  p.m.  and  supped.  I  had  supper  with 
Jemima  Young,  and  we  then  went  to  the  singing-school. 
They  entertained  us  pleasantly  until  10  p.m.  We  then 
proposed  blind-man's-buff,  and  it  was  fun,  I  can  tell  you, 
to  hear  their  laughing  and  screams.  This  lasted  until 
midnight,  when  we  retired. 

"Tuesday. — Up  at  day-break,  and  until  breakfast  walked 
about  the  village.  All  those  that  could  not  go  on  board 
yesterday  went  to-day,  and  the  band  came  on  shore  to 
amuse  the  others.  The  intense  excitement  it  caused,  and 
the  curiosity  with  which  they  followed  it  was  very  amus- 
ing. After  the  band  had  played  some  time,  the  girls  sang 
us  some  of  their  beautiful  glees,  catches,  songs,  etc.,  then 
the  band  played  again.  This  lasted  until  four  o'clock, 
when  it  was  time  to  go  on  board,  much  to  the  regret  of 
the  whole  community. 

"I  went  down  to  the  sea-side  to  meet  the  girls  that 
were  coming  on  shore,  as  I  knew,  they  must  have  been 
very  sick  indeed,  and  one  poor  thing  half  dead  I  took 
home.  She  was  so  weak  that  twice  she  had  to  rest  com- 
ing up  the  hill,  and  she  lay  down  and  put  her  head  in  my 
lap.  It  was  quite  dark,  and  the  poor  thing  was  so  grate- 
ful ;  but  I  could  not  stay  to  supper,  which  was  a  great 
disappointment  to  her,  because  I  was  engaged  to  sup 
with  Rebecca  Christian.  Rebecca  had  asked  the  admi- 
ral, Captain  Chads,  and  Mr.  Nobbs.  As  soon  as  we  were 
all  seated,  and  grace  was  said,  she  watched  for  our  taking 
the  first  mouthful,  and  then  laughing  with  delight,  she 
said,  '  Oh,  you  are  too  welcome  to  this  supper !'  After 
supper,  we  all  repaired  to  the  singing-school,  and  were 


THE  PIT  CAIRN  ISLANDERS  IN  1854.  225 

for  the  last  time  enchanted  with  their  beautiful  singing. 
It  is  really  wonderful  after  only  six  or  seven  weeks'  tui- 
tion. 

"About  ten  we  repaired  to  John  Adams's  house,  and 
had  a  splendid  game  of  blind-man's-buff.  The  way  the 
active  creatures  elude  you,  running  and  dodging  in  every 
direction,  and  if  one  of  them  gets  blinded  the  way  they 
all  rush  about,  was  most  amusing.  It  was  1  o'clock  before 
we  got  to  bed,  and  I  was  to  sleep  at  Jemima  Young's 
house.  I  was  awakened  in  the  morning  by  Jemima,  Mar- 
tha Young,  and  Dinah  Quintal  standing  round  me,  as  I 
had  so  completely  got  hid  in  the  feather-bed  they  gave 
me  to  sleep  in  that  I  was  almost  lost.  We  took  a  walk 
to  a  cave  up  the  mountains,  and  came  down  to  breakfast. 
This  was  our  last  day,  and  it  was  rather  triste.  When  2 
p.m.  came,  and  we  all  had  assembled  at  the  landing-place 
(the  whole  village)  the  scene  was  too  affecting.  Never 
in  my  life  have  I  ever  seen  any  thing  to  equal  it.  The 
whole  of  the  kind  affectionate  people  crying,  the  girls 
clinging  round  us,  begging  us  to  come  back  again  soon. 
I  tried  for  a  few  moments  to  bear  up,  but  it  was  a  sad 
failure.  I  broke  down,  and  am  not  much  ashamed  to  say 
(as  I  kissed  them  all  round)  I  cried  as  much  as  they  did. 
One  big  stout  fellow  came  and  said,  'God  bless  you,  sir!' 
and  gave  me  a  kiss.  I  thought  his  heart  would  break.  I 
could  not  have  believed  that  a  few  days  would  have  made 
me  feel  such  an  affection  for  any  single  person,  much  more 
for  a  great  number,  as  I  did  for  them  ;  but  so  it  is :  their 
honest,  pure,  virtuous  character  produces  an  impression 
that  can  never  be  effaced.  Nearly  all  the  men  came  on 
board  with  us,  and  we  stood  close  to  the  island,  hoisted 
the  royal  standard,  and  fired  a  royal  salute.  We  then 
gave  three  hearty  cheers,  and  the  band  played  '  God  save 
the  Queen,'  '  Rule  Britannia,'  etc. 

10* 


220  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"  It  must  to  the  islanders  have  been  a  beautiful  sight, 
for  we  were  so  close  in  that  we  could  see  them  all  col- 
lected under  the  trees  still  crying,  and  we  heard  their  fee- 
ble cheers  in  answer  to  ours.  The  parting  with  the  men 
was  worse  almost  than  with  the  girls;  to  see  big  stout 
fellows  crying,  and  hardly  able  to  look  up,  was  too  much. 
All  the  officers  were  deeply  affected,  and  I  saw  some  of 
the  men  nearest  me,  old  hardy  seamen  and  big  marines, 
not  only  wipe  away  a  tear  but  regularly  crying. 

"Away !  away !  we  are  off  for  the  world  again,  truly 
sorry  to  leave  the  island.  Their  happiness  in  this  life 
consists  solely  in  virtue,  and  their  virtue  is  their  truest 
pleasure.  They  think  (and  how  really  true  is  it)  that  the 
more  religious  and  virtuous  you  become  the  happier  you 
are,  deeming  every  sin  to  take  from  your  enjoyment  in 
this  and  the  after  life.  Therefore,  if  we  were  to  take 
away  the  credit  due  to  them  for  living  so  good  a  life  from 
principle,  they  would  still  continue,  as  they  know  that 
true  pleasure  is  only  to  be  obtained  by  obeying  the  will 
of  God.  Their  temperance  and  industry  give  them  health, 
food, and  cheerfulness;  gain  for  them  universal  esteem, 
respect,  and  sympathy ;  and  as  in  this  life  they  do  not 
seek  their  pleasures  in  things  below,  but  in  a  higher 
power,  and  the  image  of  the  Saviour  is  found  in  their 
hearts  in  this  world,  so  we  may  earnestly  hope  that  they 
will  belong  peculiarly  to  Him  in  the  next.  No  profligate 
has  ever  been  known  to  practise  his  vicious  courses  in 
this  island ;  for  their  virtue,  like  a  garment  in  cold  weath- 
er, completely  disarms  him  and  protects  them.  God  pro- 
tect and  bless  them  !*     Both  sexes  like  to  dress  like  Eng- 

*  "Recent  visitors  declare  that  drunkenness,  the  use  of  bad  language, 
and  similar  vices,  are  absolutely  unknown  among  the  Pitcairn  people. 
The  excellence  of  their  lives,  and  the  harmony  in  which  they  dwell  to- 
gether, has  surprised  every  one  that  has  touched  at  the  island,  and  we 


MARIA   CHRISTIAN,  ELLEN    QUINTAL,   AND   SARAH   M'KOY. 


THE  PITCAIRN  ISLANDERS  IN  1854.  229 

lish  people,  if  they  can,  on  Sundays ;  and  the  women  com- 
plain that  they  can  not  get  shoes,  but  all  the  men  can 
get  them  from  the  whalers.  During  the  week  their  dress 
consists  chiefly  of  a  dark-blue  petticoat  and  a  white  kind 
of  long  jacket  for  the  women,  a  loose  shirt  and  loose  trow- 
sers  for  the  men. 

"  The  houses  are  nice  little  storied  structures,  not  so 
neatly  kept  as  one  might  be  led  to  expect,  nevertheless 
they  are  far  from  being  dirty.  Their  food  consists  chiefly 
of  yams,  cocoa-nuts,  bread-fruit,  plantains,  bananas,  taro, 
oranges,  etc.,  a  few  fish,  and  in  the  yam  season  each  family 
kills  a  large  pig,  that  during  the  hard  work  of  digging 
yams  they  may  have  a  little  animal  food.  Sometimes 
they  get  goats'  flesh,  and  are  trying  to  rear  a  few  cattle. 
They  have  three,  and  the  admiral  gave  them  three  more. 
Both  sexes  work  very  hard  indeed.  They  usually  rise  at 
dawn,  and  have  family  prayers,  do  the  work  that  is  neces- 
sary, and  about  dusk  have  supper,  then  go  to  the  singing- 
school,  or  Mr.  Nobbs's,  or  meet  to  have  a  chat.  About 
nine  or  ten  they  go  to  bed,  previously  having  family  wor- 
ship. Should  one  of  the  little  ones  go  to  bed  or  to  sleep 
before  its  mother. comes  home,  she  immediately  wakes  it 
to  say  its  prayers.  Not  a  soul  on  the  island  would  dream 
of  commencing  a  meal  or  finishing  without  asking  a  bless- 
ing or  returning  thanks. 

"  Boys  and  girls  swim  almost  as  soon  as  they  can  walk ; 

have  met  rough  sea-captains  and  hard-headed  merchants  from  California 
— the  most  unlikely  people,  in  fact — who  declared  the  Utopian  condition 
of  the  island  to  have  been  such  that  they  quite  fell  in  love  with  virtue 
while  they  staid  there,  and  felt  strongly  tempted  to  throw  money  to  the 
dogs,  and  to  remain  and  become  good,  among  the  descendants  of  the 
Bounty  mutineers.  How  so  entirely  novel  a  community  as  one  composed 
of  Christians  and  destitute  of  rogues  will  get  on  upon  a  larger  scale,  we 
have  as  yet  no  means  of  knowing." — Extract  from  the  "Argus  "  (a  Syd- 
ney newspaper). 


230  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

consequently  they  will  swim  through  the  largest  surf,  and 
play  about  among  the  broken  water  on  the  rocks,  that  we 
look  on  with  terror,  and  to  swim  entirely  round  the  island 
is  not  an  uncommon  feat.  One  of  their  greatest  amuse- 
ments is  to  have  a  slide,  as  they  term  it ;  that  is,  to  take 
a  piece  of  wood  about  three  feet  long,  shaped  like  a  canoe 
with  a  small  keel  (called  a  surf-board).  They  then  (hold- 
ing this  before  them)  dive  under  the  first  heavy  sea,  and 
come  up  on  the  other  side.  They  then  swim  out  a  little 
way,  and  wait  until  a  rapid  heavy  sea  is  rolling  in,  the 
higher  the  better.  They  rest  their  breast  on  the  canoe  or 
surf-board,  and  are  carried  along  on  the  very  apex  of  the 
surf  at  a  prodigious  rate  right  upon  the  rocks,  where  you 
think  nothing  can  save  them  from  being  dashed  to  pieces, 
the  surf  seems  so  powerful;  but  in  a  moment  they  are  on 
their  legs,  and  prepare  for  another  slide.  Such  as  would 
be  death  to  Englishmen  is  fun  to  their  women  and  chil- 
dren. Their  method  of  fishing  is  equally  dangerous.  The 
women  walk  along  the  rocks  until  they  see  a  squid,  then 
watching  the  retreating  sea,  they  run  in  and  try  to  pick 
it  up  before  the  advancing  surf  can  wash  them  off;  but 
frequently  they  are  washed  off,  and  then  they  have  to  ex- 
ert all  their  skill  to  land,  for  they  have  no  surf-board  to 
help  them. 

"  Christmas-day  is  a  grand  feast-day,  and  they  keep  it 
up  in  good  style ;  but  the  queen's  birthday  is  their  grand 
day.  It  is  observed  with  feasting,  dancing  (the  only  day 
on  which  they  are  allowed  to  dance  on  the  island),  and  all 
sorts  of  merriment  goes  on.  Among  the  very  first  ques- 
tions every  one  asks  is,  l  How  is  Her  Majesty  the  queen  T 
Their  number  is  about  one  hundred  and  seventy,  and  they 
increase  very  fast.  It  is,  therefore,  quite  time  that  some 
provision  were  made  for  their  future  maintenance.  The 
island  would  support  about  eight  hundred  souls  on  vege- 


NATIONAL  ANTHEM  OF  THE  PITCAIRNERS.  231 

table  diet ;  but  their  hogs  must  necessarily  all  be  killed, 
because  they  would  eat  too  much ;  neither  could  they  af- 
ford to  give  the  whalers  any  refreshments,  who  would  con- 
sequently soon  abandon  the  island,  and  leave  the  islanders 
no  employment  beyond  providing  for  their  own  wants, 
which  could  be  easily  done  in  this  climate.  They  would 
be  wholly  dependent  on  charity  for  clothes  and  other 
necessaries,  unless  our  Government  undertook  to  supply 
them,  or,  as  a  last  resource,  they  would  have  to  go  back 
again  to  their  tappa  cloth.  If  matters  came  to  such  a 
pass,  they  would  soon  make  a  retrograde  movement  in 
civilization,  for  we  know  that  civilization  must  either  go 
forward  or  backward — it  can  hardly  stand  still. 

"They  have  had  one  fearful  land-slip,  besides  several 
small  ones,  which  is  another  serious  consideration.  Wa- 
ter also  would  not  be  too  plentiful  for  eight  hundred  peo- 
ple.    Something  must  be  done." 

The  following  poem,  which  the  Pitcairners  have  adapt- 
ed to  the  air  of  "  Rousseau's  Dream,"  they  consider  their 
national  anthem: 

NATIONAL  ANTHEM. 
(Words  composed  by  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs.) 

"'Mid  the  mighty  Southern  Ocean 

Stands  an  isolated  rock, 
Blanched  by  the  surf's  commotion, 

Riven  by  the  lightning's  shock. 
Hark  those  strains  to  heaven  ascending, 

From  those  slopes  of  vivid  green, 
Old  and  young  their  voices  blending — 

God  preserve  Britannia's  Queen! 

"  Who  are  these  whose  aspirations 

With  such  ardor  greet  the  ear? 
Sons,  whose  sires  wrought  consternation, 

Daughters  of  the  Mutineer. 
Yet  those  sires  were  ne'er  disloyal, 

Though  they  curbed  a  tyrant's  sway ; 
Their  children  with  affection  loyal 

Hail  Victoria's  natal  day ! 


232  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"  Ha !  that  flash  yon  grove  illuming, 

Long  impervious  to  the  sun, 
How  the  quick  report  comes  booming 

From  the  ocean's  rescued  gun ! 
Now  the  bell  is  gayly  ringing 

Where  yon  white-robed  train  are  seen, 
Now  they  all  unite  in  singing — 

God  preserve  our  gracious  Queen!" 

The  admiral,  in  the  course  of  several  conversations,  had 
learned  from  the  inhabitants  that  they  had  a  great  desire 
for  the  ordination  of  their  pastor,  in  order  that  he  might 
be  qualified  to  administer  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  and  proposed  with  great  kindness  to  send  Mr. 
Nobbs  to  England  for  that  purpose,  leaving  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Holman  to  officiate  during  his  absence.  The  islanders  did 
not  at  first  accede  to  this  generous  offer,  being  unwilling 
to  part  with  their  pastor  even  for  a  short  time ;  but  after 
some  deliberation  they  took  a  more  sensible  view  of  the 
case,  and  acquiesced  in  the  proposal.  It  was  also  ar- 
ranged that  Mr.  Nobbs's  daughter  should  accompany  them 
as  far  as  Valparaiso,  where  she  might  receive  instruction 
for  the  benefit  of  the  female  part  of  the  community.  Be- 
fore leaving  Pitcairn  the  admiral  felt  desirous  of  hearing 
some  particulars  relative  to  the  previous  history  of  Mr. 
Nobbs.  One  bright  evening  when  sitting  beneath  the 
cocoa-nut  trees,  near  the  picturesque  Pitcairn  village,  he 
alluded  to  the  responsibility  he  had  undertaken  in  con- 
veying Mr.  Nobbs  to  England  to  obtain  ordination,  and 
continued,  "  It  is  due  to  yourself,  and  to  the  friends  who 
will  welcome  you  there  with  much  cordiality,  that  you 
should  give  me  some  information  as  to  your  previous  his- 
tory, and  the  reasons  which  induced  you  to  reside  at  Pit- 
cairn. I  hope  you  will  accede  to  this  request,  either  ver- 
bally or  in  writing,  before  we  separate."  Next  morning 
he  received  the  following  letter: 


HISTORY  OF  GEORGE  H.  NOBBS.  233 

"August,  1852. 
"  My  Honorable  Friend, — In  compliance  with  your 
kind  suggestion,  I  have  written  down  a  few  items  respect- 
ing myself,  and  my  position  on  Pitcairn  Island.  I  am,  un- 
fortunately, the  unacknowledged  son  of  the  Marquis  of 
,  and  my  mother  was  the  daughter  of  an  Irish  baron- 
et, who,  becoming  implicated  in  the  Irish  Rebellion,  left 
his  country,  it  was  supposed  for  France,  and  in  all  proba- 
bility the  boat  in  which  he  embarked  foundered,  as  neither 
himself  nor  the  three  or  four  who  ventured  with  him  were 
ever  heard  of  again.*  My  beloved  mother  died  in  the 
year  1822,  and  on  her  death-bed  exacted  from  me  a  solemn 
promise  that  I  would  never  accept  of  any  favor  at  the 
hands  of  my  father's  family,  nor  appropriate  to  my  use  a 
sum  of  money  invested  in  the  public  funds,  placed  there,  it 
seems,  for  my  support  as  early  as  1803  or  1804.  I  cheer- 
fully complied  with  her  request  at  the  time  she  made  it, 
and  I  am  determined  to  observe  the  same  line  of  conduct 
to  the  end  of  my  life.  Moreover,  my  mother  was  anxious 
that  I  should  quit  England,  and  take  up  my  abode  in  some 
distant  part  of  the  world,  where  her  wrongs  and  mine 
might  be  buried  in  oblivion.  I  mentioned  Pitcairn  Island 
to  her,  and  as  much  of  its  history  as  had  come  to  my 
knowledge.  She  was  delighted  with  the  idea  of  my  going 
there,  and  almost  her  last  words  were,  '  Go  to  Pitcairn 
Island,  my  son,  dwell  there,  and  may  the  blessing  of  God 

*  "His  mother,  and  grandmother,  Lady ,  were  much  reduced  in 

circumstances.  Through  their  friend,  Admiral  Murray,  commanding  at 
North  Yarmouth,  the  young  boy  (then  under  the  care  of  a  family  called 
Nobbs,  whose  name  his  mother  made  him  assume)  was  placed  on  board 
the  Snipe  to  wait  the  arrival  of  the  Hero,  commanded  by  an  acquaintance 
of  his  mother,  Captain  Newman.  The  Hero  was  wrecked  in  the  mean 
time.  Admiral  Murray  having  informed  his  mother  that  inquiries  had 
been  made  respecting  her  son,  and  that  he  would  be  removed,  she  imme- 
diately withdrew  him  from  the  service.  Every  action  of  her  life  bore 
with  it  the  feeling  that  her  son  should  never  be  benefited  by  the  person 
who  had  blighted  her  name.  Her  son  returned  to  school,  and  subse- 
quently went  to  India  in  the  merchant  service  in  1819." — Letter  from 
Admiral  Moresby,  addressed  to  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Northumberland. 


234  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

rest  upon  you !'  Suffice  it  to  say  I  left  England  for  this 
place  at  the  commencement  of  1826,  and  after  nearly  two 
years  of  difficulties,  dangers,  and  a  considerable  expendi- 
ture of  money,  I  arrived  on  the  28th  of  October,  1828.  I 
was  cordially  received  by  John  Adams  and  the  natives 
generally,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  short  interval,  over  which  I  had  no  control, 
have  been  successfully  engaged  in  the  moral  and  religious 
instruction  of  the  community. 

"As  to  remuneration  received  by  me  for  my  services,  it 
simply  amounts  to  this :  For  my  clerical  duties  my  house 
is  kept  in  repair ;  as  surgeon,  I  have  received  something 
like  three  acres  of  land  ;  and  for  schooling,  one  shilling  per 
month  for  twenty-five  out  of  fifty  scholars  is  the  utmost 
of  what  I  receive.  To  the  rest  I  give  instruction  gratis, 
as  those  who  have  large  families  can  not  afford  to  pay  for 
the  whole  of  their  children.  Yet  this  trifling  amount  I  do 
not  receive  in  cash,  but  in  potatoes  or  yams,  which  are 
sold  to  ships  at  a  considerable  discount.  If  I  could  obtain 
a  salary  from  some  benevolent  source  I  should  be  thank- 
ful, for  I  am  often  driven  to  great  straits. 

"And  now,  honorable  and  much-respected  friend,  permit 
me  to  assure  you  that  I  gratefully  appreciate  your  benev- 
olent designs  in  favor  of  myself  and  family,  and  subscribe 
myself  your  much-obliged  and  humble  servant, 

"  G.  H.  Nobbs. 

"Reae- admiral  Faiefax  Moresby." 

On  the  11  th  of  August,  1852,  Mr.  Nobbs  and  his  daugh- 
ter Jane  embarked,  with  Admiral  Fairfax  Moresby,  on 
board  H.M.S.  Portland,  amid  the  tears  and  blessings  of  the 
islanders,  to  proceed  to  Valparaiso.  The  voyagers  reach- 
ed Valparaiso  on  the  30th  of  August,  and  Mr.  Nobbs,  hav- 
ing travelled  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  embarked  in 
the  steamer  Arinoes,  and  landed  at  Portsmouth  October 
16th,  1852.  To  his  generous  friend  Admiral  Moresby  he 
owed  the  means  of  obtaining  a  passage  to  England,  and 


MB.  NOBBS  OBDAINED  IN  ENGLAND.  235 

also  of  meeting  his  expenses  while  residing  in  this  coun- 
try. 

After  being  duly  qualified  Mr.  Nobbs  was  ordained  a 
deacon,  on  October  24th,  1852,  by  Dr.  Blomfield,  Bishop 
of  London.  In  a  letter  from  his  lordship,  dated  December 
1st,  is  found  the  following  testimony:  "  We  have  all  been 
very  much  pleased  with  Mr.  ISTobbs's  good  sense  and  right 
feeling  and  genuine  simplicity.  I  earnestly  pray  that  it 
may  please  God  to  continue  to  him  the  blessing  which  has 
hitherto  been  vouchsafed  to  his  disinterested  and  self- 
denying  labors." 

On  the  20th  of  November,  St.  Andrew's  Day,  the  Rev. 
G.  H.  Nobbs  was  ordained  priest  in  Fulham  Church,  by 
the  Bishop  of  London,  and  was  described  in  the  Letters  of 
Orders  as  "  Chaplain  of  Pitcairn  Island." 

This  letter  was  the  first  addressed  to  Admiral  Moresby 
after  Mr.  Nobbs  arrived  in  England,  and  gives  an  account 
of  his  prospects,  and  of  the  kindness  he  met  with  : 

"51  Gloucester  Place,  Queen's  Square,  London, 
"November  12th,  1852. 

"  Honorable  Sir  and  Friend, — I  did  not  write  by  the 
first  mail  after  my  arrival  in  England,  because  nothing 
conclusive  had  been  agreed  on  respecting  the  island  in 
general,  and  myself  in  particular,  although  the  bishop  gave 
me  ordination  as  deacon  a  few  days  after  my  arrival.  I 
have  been  most  cordially  received  by  Mr.  Stafford,  Sir 
Robert  Inglis,  Lord  Harrowby,  Admiral  Beaufort,  and  a 
vast  number  of  gentlemen  of  rank  and  influence.  Of  the 
reception  I  received  from  your  dear  good  lady,  and  Sir  T. 
Acland,  I  shall  forbear  saying  any  thing  till  I  have  the 
pleasure  of  relating  it  personally. 

"The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  have 
granted  me  £50  per  annum,  and  through  and  by  the  means 
of  the  letters  which  you  have  sent,  and  the  untiring  activ- 
ity of  Sir  T.  Acland,  I  have  no  doubt  that  every  thing 


236  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

which  can  be  of  benefit  to  the  community  whose  welfare 
you  are  so  generously  anxious  to  promote  will  be  accord- 
ed them.  The  Bishop  of  London  will  ordain  me  priest  in 
the  commencement  of  December,  and  I  shall  leave  Eng- 
land on  the  17th,  and  I  hope  to  behold  the  face  of  my  best 
earthly  friend  by  the  middle  of  February.  I  am  happy  to 
hear  Jane  is  doing  well ;  please  give  my  love  to  her  and 
Reuben,  to  Fortescue,  and  good  Captain  Prevost.  I  have 
no  doubt,  my  honored  friend,  you  will  think  this  a  very 
trifling  letter,  but  I  want  to  narrate  my  adventures  per- 
sonally, which  I  hope  to  do  on  our  passage  to  Pitcairn,  if  it 
pleases  God.  I  am  fearful  the  Government  will  not  pro- 
vide me  a  passage  by  the  way  of  Panama,  but  Sir  Thomas 
thinks  funds  can  be  raised  for  that  purpose. 

"November  13th. — I  have  just  returned  from,  breakfast- 
ing with  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  and  his  good  little 
duchess,  who  gave  me  a  ticket  for  a  seat  at  Northumber- 
land House,  to  witness  the  procession  at  the  obsequies  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington.  His  Grace  requested  me  to  in- 
form Sir  T.  Acland  that  he  would  co-operate  with  him 
most  cordially  in  any  private  measures  that  might  be  set 
on  foot  for  the  benefit  of  Pitcairn  Island,  and  that  Sir 
Thomas  might  call  or  write  whenever  he  chose.  I  have 
not  yet  seen  Sir  John  Packington,  but  expect  to  do  so 
next  week.  I  trust,  honored  sir,  you  will  excuse  my  con- 
cluding so  abruptly,  but  my  cough  keeps  me  in  a  contin- 
ual shake.  I  could  not  possibly  exist  much  longer  in  Eng- 
land. 

"  With  a  grateful  sense  of  the  many  kindnesses  received 
at  your  hands,  permit  me,  honored  sir,  to  subscribe  myself 
your  most  obliged  and  humble  servant, 

"  George  H.  Nobbs. 

"  Admikal  Fairfax  Moresby,  C.  B." 

On  the  28th  of  November  Mr.  Nobbs  preached  at  St. 
Dunstan's  in  the  East,  as  Chaplain  of  Pitcairn  Island. 
"  The  hearers  were  deeply  interested,"  writes  the  Rev.  T. 
B.  Murray,  late  Rector  of  St.  Dunstan's.     "  Both  the  Bish- 


MB.  NOBBS  BETUBNS  TO  PITCAIBN  ISLAND.         237 

op  of  London  and  Sir  T.  Acland  have  given  him  invita- 
tions to  stay  with  them,  which  he  will  accept  with  pleas- 
ure; but  with  his  zeal  for  his  fellow-islanders,  and  his 
plain  and  simple  ways  of  life,  I  think  he  will  rejoice,  as 
soon  as  his  errand  is  accomplished,  to  rejoin  his  friends  at 
a  distance.  He  is  desirous  of  returning  as  soon  as  he  pos- 
sibly can." 

Before  leaving  England  Mr.  Nobbs  was  presented  to 
Her  Majesty,  who  received  him  most  graciously,  and  gave 
him  portraits  of  herself  and  the  royal  family. 

The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  placed 
Mr.  Nobbs  on  their  missionary  list,  at  a  salary  of  £50  per 
annum,  and  on  the  17th  of  December,  1852,  the  worthy 
chaplain  embarked  at  Southampton  on  his  homeward  voy- 
age, and  recrossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  from  whence 
to  Valparaiso  the  Royal  Mail  Steam  Navigation  Company 
gave  him  a  free  passage ;  but  on  his  arrival  he  found  he 
had  missed,  by  a  few  days,  a  vessel  going  to  Pitcairn.  At 
Valparaiso,  therefore,  he  waited  until  the  Portland  should 
arrive. 

"On  the  15th  of  April,  1853,"  wrote  Mr.  Fortescue 
Moresby,  the  son  and  secretary  of  the  admiral,  "  we  sail- 
ed from  Valparaiso,  having  Mr.  Nobbs  and  his  children 
Reuben  and  Jane  on  board,  to  return  them  to  their  island 
home.  On  Saturday,  May  14th,  we  sighted  Pitcairn  about 
fifty  miles  distant ;  on  Sunday,  at  sunrise,  it  was  looming 
large  from  the  deck.  Just  before  we  went  to  morning 
service  we  fired  three  guns,  to  let  them  know  we  had 
three  passengers  on  board.  After  church  we  were  close 
enough  to  see  people  on  the  island,  and  we  observed  them 
all  corne  out  of  church  and  launch  their  whale-boat.  Of 
course  this  was  a  most  anxious  time  for  Mr.  Nobbs.  In 
about  half  an  hour  they  came  alongside,  followed  by  a  ca- 
noe, in  which   were  old  John  Adams's  son  and  grandson. 


238  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

They  manifested  the  same  honest  genuine  feeling  of  de- 
light at  Mr.  Nobbs's  return  as  they  did  of  sorrow  at  his 
departure ;  of  course  they  were  delighted  to  see  its  also 
once  more.  We  observed  that  all  the  men  looked  ill 
and  poor,  which  they  told  us  was  the  effect  of  the  long 
drought  having  disappointed  them  in  their  crops.  This 
had  caused  not  quite  a  famine,  but  so  near  it  that  for 
months  they  were  reduced  to  pumpkins,  berries,  cocoa- 
nuts,  and  beans,  for  their  existence.  We  staid  from  Mon- 
day until  Thursday,  passing  our  time  much  as  before, 
sketching,  talking,  singing,  walking.  Truly,  a  more  inno- 
cent or  delightful  race  does  not  exist.  The  admiral  was 
much  pleased  with  the  progress  made  by  Jane  Nobbs. 
She  has  learnt  to  sew  neatly,  besides  other  domestic  ac- 
complishments, without  losing  her  pretense  to  simplicity 
and  modesty.  I  trust  she  will  prove  a  useful  member  of 
the  community." 

(In  the  Appendix  will  be  found  a  most  interesting  letter 
from  Mr.  Nobbs,  written  on  board  H.M.S.  Portland,  when 
on  her  voyage  from  Valparaiso  to  Pitcairn,  and  addressed 
to  Admiral  Moresby.  It  relates  to  the  sixteen  years  of 
his  adventurous  life  previous  to  settling  at  Pitcairn,  and 
therefore  would  be  out  of  place  in  the  narrative.) 

The  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  the  Rev.  W.  H. 
Holman  to  Admiral  Moresby  is  inserted  here,  as  it  con- 
tains his  opinion  of  the  excellent  character  of  the  island- 
ers. He  was  the  chaplain  on  board  the  Portland,  and 
was  left  at  Pitcairn  during  the  absence  of  Mr.  Nobbs. 

"From  my  experience  of  the  last  month,  the  Pitcairn 
Islanders  are  fully  deserving  of  the  high  moral  and  relig- 
ious character  which  they  bear.  I  have  seen  no  instance 
whatever  of  disagreement  or  ill-temper,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, every  thing  is  done  in  peace  and  good-will.  They 
vie  with  one  another  in  their  attempts  to  make  me  com- 


DISTRESS  ON  PIT  CAIRN  ISLAND.  239 

fortable,  and  have  so  loaded  me  with  presents,  which  I 
dare  not  refuse  without  wounding  their  feelings,  that  I 
have  a  large  stake  in  the  property  of  the  island.  I  must 
not  omit  to  inform  you  that  the  day  after  your  departure 
a  meeting  was  held  to  consider  in  what  way  I  was  to  be 
provided  for,  when  it  was  decided  that  each  family  should 
in  their  turn  provide  my  food.  I  am  glad  in  having  noth- 
ing unsatisfactory  to  communicate. 
"  Pitcairn,  December  21st,  1852." 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Nobbs  to  the  Rev.  T.  B. 
Murray,  late  rector  of  St.  Dunstan's,  and  Secretary  to  the 
Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  was  written 
after  his  return : 

"Pitcairn  Island,  July  21st,  1853. 

"  Dear  Me.  Mttreay, — It  has  pleased  our  heavenly  Fa- 
ther to  permit  me  to  return  in  safety  to  my  island-home, 
and  to  a  happy  meeting  with  my  family.  We  landed  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  after  the  evening  service,  when  Mr.  Hol- 
man  preached  his  farewell  sermon,  I  read  from  the  pulpit 
my  ordination  letters  and  license  as  chaplain  of  Pitcairn 
Island,  granted  me  by  my  honored  patron,  the  Lord  Bish- 
op of  London.  The  Portland  remained  off  the  island  four 
days,  and  then  left  us  for  the  Gambier  Islands.  The  next 
day  after  her  departure,  the  influenza  made  its  appearance. 
Unfortunately  the  wind  was  from  the  north-west,  and  the 
atmosphere  was  very  dense  and  heated,  which  acted  as 
fuel  to  the  contagion ;  and  so  rapid  was  its  progress,  that 
in  one  week  there  were  not  ten  persons  capable  of  attend- 
ing to  their  own  wants.  It  was  the  most  severe  attack 
since  1840,  the  date  of  its  first  appearance  among  us. 

"After  an  absence  of  nine  days,  the  Portland  returned. 
On  their  making  known  to  the  admiral  our  sad  condition, 
he  humanely  lay  by  all  night  (it  being  very  late  when  our 
boat  got  on  board),  and  in  the  morning  sent  Captain 
Chads  and  his  secretary,  with  one  of  the  ship's  surgeons, 
to  our  assistance ;  and  as  my  small  stock  of  tea  and  sugar 
was  almost  exhausted  by  distributing  to  those  that  had 


240  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

none,  the  admiral  sent  on  shore  a  good  supply,  and  the  offi- 
cers also  contributed  biscuits  and  other  necessaries.  I  at- 
tribute the  severity  with  which  the  disease  was  felt  to  the 
debilitated  state  of  the  community,  owing  to  the  scarcity 
of  food  which  prevailed  for  some  months  prior  to  my  ar- 
rival. The  want  of  rain  had  prevented  their  planting  their 
usual  crop  of  sweet  potatoes,  and  consequently  reduced 
them  to  great  straits.  It  was  for  some  weeks  almost  actu- 
al starvation,  their  only  resource  being  half-grown  pump- 
kins. My  dear  wife,  while  relating  to  me  the  history  of 
their  privations,  said  the  circumstance  which  used  to  affect 
her  most  was,  that  the  younger  children  would  wake  up 
about  midnight,  and  cry  for  hours  from  sheer  hunger,  so 
unsubstantial  was  the  fare  they  had  partaken  of  previous 
to  their  going  to  bed.  And  I  well  know,  when  my  chil- 
dren cried  from  hunger,  their  good  mother's  sufferings, 
mentally  and  bodily,  must  have  been  very  great. 

"I  have  administered  the  Holy  Sacrament  once  since 
my  return,  and  intend  (D.V.)  to  do  so  monthly.  We  have 
about  seventy-five  communicants.  The  number  of  inhabit- 
ants amounts  to  one  hundred  and  seventy-two — eighty-five 
males,  eighty-seven  females.  A  dreadful  accident  occur- 
red during  my  absence.  Her  Majesty's  ship  Virago,  Cap- 
tain Prevost,  was  just  on  the  point  of  quitting  the  island : 
most  of  the  community  were  on  board  taking  leave,  and 
the  few  who  remained  on  shore  had  assembled  round  the 
Bounty's  gun,  with  the  intention  of  firing  a  farewell  sa- 
lute. As  Matthew  M'Koy  was  employed  ramming  home 
the  cartridge,  the  gun  accidentally  exploded,  and  the  poor 
man  was  dreadfully  injured,  surviving  but  a  few  hours,  al- 
though he  had  the  attendance  of  two  surgeons  from  the 
Virago.  He  left  a  family  of  nine  children  to  mourn  his 
loss.  Two  other  persons  were  badly  wounded,  and  it  was 
doubtful  for  some  time  if  they  would  survive;  one  of  them 
still  suffers  from  his  wound." 

The  funeral  of  poor  M'Koy,  related  in  the  following  ex- 
tract, was  attended  by  Captain  Prevost,  with  the  officers 


MATTHEW  M'KOY.—BEUBEN  NOBBS.  241 

and  petty  officers  of  the  ship,  and  the  scene  was  most  im- 
pressive :* 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  sunset,  the  tall  plume  -  like  cocoa- 
nut  trees  waved  gently  above  our  heads.  Borne  upward 
from  the  sea,  mournfully  but  not  discordantly,  came  the 
sound  of  the  breakers,  as  they  burst  against  the  shore, 
while  from  orange,  and  from  lime,  and  from  a  thousand 
fragrant  herbs,  delicious  scents  filled  the  air.  All  the  isl- 
anders were  present  in*their  white  tappa- cloth  dresses, 
the  officers  also  in  white  attire.  The  poor  widow  hung 
upon  the  arm  of  Captain  Prevost,  and,  surrounded  by  her 
nine  children,  led  the  mournful  procession  to  the  grave, 
which  was  dug  in  a  small  garden,  where  were  interred  the 
remains  of  the  father,  mother,  and  brother  of  M'Koy. 
Amidst  the  tears  and  sobs  of  the  community,  the  Rev.  W. 
H,  Holman,  Chaplain  of  the  Portland  (who  had  remained 
at  Pitcairn  during  the  absence  of  Mr.  Nobbs),  read  the  bu- 
rial service  most  impressively,  and  at  the  conclusion  the 
islanders  sang  one  of  their  beautiful  hymns.  The  impres- 
sion made  by  this  touching  and  unusual  scene  could  not 
be  easily  effaced  from  the  minds  of  the  captain  and  officers 
of  the  Virago,  whose  stay  at  the  island  had  been  prolong- 
ed by  this  sad  occurrence." 

H.M.'s  ship  Dido  having  touched  at  Pitcairn  in  Decem- 
ber, 1853,  Reuben  Nobbs  returned  to  Valparaiso,  accompa- 
nied by  his  brother  Francis.  The  delicate  state  of  Reu- 
ben's health  had  induced  his  friends  to  advise  him  to  try 
the  effect  of  his  native  air  for  a  few  months,  but  soon  after 
his  arrival  at  Valparaiso  it  became  evident  that  his  lungs 

*  Extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Toup  Nicholas,  who  had  accom- 
panied Captain  Prevost  in  the  Virago  to  visit  Pitcairn  Island.  He  was 
Her  Majesty's  Consul-general  at  Raiatea,  the  largest  of  the  Society  group 
of  islands  in  the  South  Pacific.  It  is  situated  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  Pitcairn,  and  is  about  forty  miles  in  circumference,  mountainous 
with  extensive  and  well-watered  valleys. 

11 


242        THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

were  seriously  affected,  and  that  he  thought  his  case  hope- 
less was  shown  in  an  extract  from  his  letter  to  Rear-ad- 
miral Moresby,  dated  Valparaiso : 

"April  27th,  1854. 
"There  are  several  reasons  for  which  I  desire  to  lose 
neither  time  nor  opportunity  in  returning  home.  Not 
merely  that  I  think  the  voyage  (if  at  all  a  pleasant  one), 
with  the  balmy  air  of  my  native  isle,  will  do  much  to  re- 
store me,  nor  the  natural  desire  to  have  my  bones  laid  be- 
side those  of  my  relatives  and  friends.  But  one  reason  is, 
I  can  not  endure  the  thought  o/  what  Francis  will  suffer, 
if  I  am  taken  away  before  he  will  be  able  to  reach  home 
in  safety.  Another  reason  is,  the  effect  which  I  know  the 
report  of  my  having  died  in  a  foreign  land  will  have  on 
the  anxious,  too  tender  heart  of  my  dear  mother.  Still  I 
most  fervently  say,  '  Thy  will,  O  Lord,  be  done !  Thou 
knowest  best  what  to  ordain  concerning  me.'  Should  it 
please  the  Lord  to  restore  me  to  my  home,  and  even  to  a 
comparatively  sound  state  of  health,  I  shall  endeavor  by 
His  help  and  blessing  to  improve  the  little  talent  intrust- 
ed to  my  care  in  assisting  to  further  the  intellectual  and 
in  some  respects  the  moral  improvement  of  my  people." 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  to  Rear-admiral 
Fairfax  Moresby,  C.B., in  which  Mr.Nobbs  announces  with 
much  feeling  the  death  of  his  son  Reuben : 

"Pitcairn,  July  16th,  1855. 

"  I  have  received  your  most  kind  and  acceptable  letters 
of  the  respective  dates  of  the  15th  of  June  and  29th  of 
July,  1854.  I  immediately  convened  the  community,  and 
read  to  them  your  letters. 

"  We  are  now  on  the  eve  of  yam-harvest,  and  though 
the  crop  is  quite  a  poor  one,  we  have  a  good  stock  of 
sweet-potatoes  to  turn  to,  though  few  or  none  to  spare  for 
ships ;  however,  humanly  speaking,  the  pinch  of  this  year 
is  over,  and  by  perhaps  next  March,  when  a  sort  of  six 
upon  four  term  commences,  we  may,  if  it  pleases  God,  be 
en  route  for  Norfolk  Island.     We  are  going  on  very  com- 


REUBEN  NOJJBS.  243 

fortably  at  present;  both  church  and  school  are  well  at- 
tended, and  a  very  great  degree  of  unanimity  exists. 

"And  now  I  have  to  record  a  dispensation  it  has  pleased 
Almighty  God  to  visit  on  myself  and  family.  I  do  not 
call  it  an  afflictive  dispensation,  for  although  in  the  be- 
reavement many  of  my  earthly  anticipations  were  pros- 
trated, still  I  am  most  graciously  permitted  to  sing  of 
mercy  and  judgment.  Last  December  my  two  sons,  Reu- 
ben and  Francis,  who  had  gone  to  Valparaiso  in  the  Dido, 
returned  hither,  the  eldest,  Reuben,  far  gone  in  pulmonary 
consumption,  and  the  other  having  betrayed  incipient  in- 
dications of  the  same  disease.  Their  many  friends  in  Val- 
paraiso advised  their  return,  as  the  only  means  (humanly 
speaking)  of  restoring  Francis  to  health,  and  arresting  for 
a  short  time  the  fatal  malady  which  was  rapidly  bearing 
poor  Reuben  to  the  grave. 

"They  accordingly  left  Valparaiso  in  a  French  ship 
bound  to  Tahiti,  and  remained  there  two  months  without 
being  able  to  obtain  a  passage  home,  but  they  were  effi- 
ciently cared  for  by  some  good  Samaritans  residing  there. 
Still  Reuben  kept  declining,  and  fears  were  entertained 
that  he  would  never  see  Pitcairn  again.  At  length,  when 
all  hopes  began  to  give  way,  an  opportunity  unexpected- 
ly offered.  An  American  ship  from  California,  ostensibly 
bound  on  a  pleasure-trip,  arrived  at  Tahiti,  when  the  own- 
er of  the  vessel,  in  conjunction  with  the  gentleman  who 
professed  to  have  chartered  her,  on  hearing  of  the  situa- 
tion and  desires  of  my  children,  promptly  offered  to  con- 
vey them  hither.  They  were  accordingly  received  on 
board,  and  after  a  lengthened  passage  of  twenty-two  days 
arrived  here.  During  the  passage  they  were  treated  with 
the  greatest  kindness  and  sympathy  by  these  gentlemen 
and  several  other  passengers,  among  whom  was  a  lady, 
the  wife  of  the  principal  personage  on  board,  and  she  too 
was  most  indefatigable  in  her  motherly  attentions  to  my 
poor  boy.  Before  they  left  us  (after  a  sojourn  of  two 
days)  they  sent  on  shore  from  their  cabin-stores  a  very 
large  quantity  of  such  things  as  would  be  serviceable  to 


244  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY 

Reuben,  and,  moreover,  they  refused  payment  in  any  shape 
for  the  passage  but  thanks  of  gratitude,  and  these  were 
most  heartily  accorded  them  by  the  whole  community. 

"My  poor  boy  sank  rapidly  after  his  return.  I  saw 
from  the  first  there  was  no  probability  of  his  recovery ; 
but  this  stroke  of  domestic  affliction  was  mercifully  di- 
vested of  much  of  its  severity  on  finding  that  he  was  per- 
fectly aware  of  his  situation,  and  not  only  resigned  to  it, 
but  anxiously  desirous  to  depart  and  enter  into  the  joy 
of  his  Lord.  Sometimes  his  dear  mother,  flattered  by  the 
specious  appearance  of  his  insidious  disease,  would  hint  at 
the  probability  of  his  being  yet  spared  to  us.  But,  with 
a  gentle  shake  of  the  head,  he  would  reply,  '  No,  dear 
mother,  I  feel  I  am  rapidly  approaching  the  grave ;  hu- 
manly speaking,  my  recovery  is  impossible,  and  that  my 
dear  father  knows  as  well  as  I  do ;  and,  if  it  is  not  im- 
proper to  entertain  such  a  wish,  I  would  rather  not  return 
to  health  again.  My  earnest  desire  and  prayer  is  to  de- 
part and  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better.'  Such  was 
the  tenor  of  his  discourse  during  the  short  time  he  was 
spared  us ;  and  he  died  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to 
God.  An  hour  before  his  death  he  was  seized  with  a  vio- 
lent spasm,  which  we  thought  would  have  carried  him  off; 
but  he  rallied  again.  Seeing  his  mother  weeping,  he  said, 
'  Do  not  weep,  mother ;  one  more  such  stroke,  and  I  shall 
be  in  the  arms  of  my  Saviour.'  Shortly  after  he  had  an- 
other attack,  and  nothing  remained  but  his  attenuated 
form.  The  happy  spirit  had  returned  to  join  the  glorified 
throng.  He  died  on  Friday  afternoon,  March  2d,  at  six 
o'clock. 

"  The  Sunday  before  his  death,  I  administered  to  him 
the  Holy  Eucharist.  There  were  eight  of  us  present,  and 
it  was  a  time  of  refreshing ;  so  awfully  sublime  did  it  ap- 
pear to  us  all,  that  we  felt  as  if  we  were  indeed  where 
Jacob  felt  himself  to  be  on  his  awakening  at  Luz.  Most 
grateful  did  I  feel  that  I  was  invested  with  full  authority 
to  dispense  this  most  precious  rite — that  I  could  stand  by 
the  bed  of  my  dying  child,  and  offer  him  the  symbols  of  a 


REUBEN  NOBBS.  245 

dying  Saviour's  love,  and  declare  the  remission  of  sins 
through  faith  in  His  all-sufficient  atonement.  I  repeat,  I 
felt  most  grateful  to  those  who,  under  God,  were  instru- 
mental in  conferring  upon  me  clerical  ordination ;  and  I 
am  sure  a  full  share  of  that  gratitude  was  reflected  to- 
wards yourself,  my  well-beloved  and  respected  friend. 

"  The  remains  of  my  beloved  child  were  deposited  with 
their  kindred  dust,  the  first  fruits  of  a~  family  of  eleven 
children.  And  should  it  please  my  Heavenly  Father  to 
call  the  survivors  from  time  to  eternity,  and  they  were 
graciously  permitted  to  witness  as  good  a  confession  as 
their  departed  brother  did,  I  humbly  believe  I  could  bow 
with  submission  to  the  righteous  mandate,  and  say  '  It  is 
well.' 

"  To  that  phase  of  the  consistent  professor's  life,  the 
chamber  where  the  good  man  meets  his  fate,  I  can  revert 
with  unmingled  satisfaction.  It  has  been  my  privilege  to 
attend  the  bed  of  sickness  among  this  community  for 
twenty-seven  years,  and  I  have  frequently  had  the  un- 
speakable happiness  to  listen  to  the  testimony  of  the  dy- 
ing believer ;  to  see  death  so  robbed  of  its  sting,  that  the 
soul  before  quitting  its  frail  tenement  seemed  invested 
with  an  antepast  of  heaven.  Such  manifestations  can  by 
no  means  be  construed  into  mental  hallucinations  or  tran- 
sient feelings  of  excited  gratitude.  For — not  to  recur  to 
the  happy  state  of  mind  in  which  many  of  our  immortals 
have  entered  the  'dark  valley' — here  (I  refer  to  my  de- 
ceased child)  was  a  young  man  prostrated  in  the  prime  of 
his  days,  and  for  many  weeks  standing  on  the  brink  of 
eternity,  with  a  full  and  solemn  view  of  his  state  deeply 
impressed  on  his  mind,  both  from  his  own  feelings,  and 
the  conversation  of  his  sorrowing  but  happy  friends.  Yet 
he  could,  amidst  the  ravages  and  exhaustion  of  pulmonary 
consumption,  so  entirely  resign  himself  to  the  providential 
dispensation  of  his  Heavenly  Father,  as  to  make  the  ex- 
emplary words  of  his  suffering  and  acquiescent  Saviour 
the  frequent  and  earnest  theme  of  his  aspiration — '  Not 
my  will,  but  thine  be  done.'     I  have  repeated  the  solemn 


246  TEE  MUTINEERS   OF  TEE  BOUNTY. 

words  *  Earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust,' and 
committed  to  the  tomb  the  first  fruits  of  a  family  of  eleven 
children ;  and  should  it  please  my  Heavenly  Father  to  call 
the  survivors  from  time  into  eternity,  I  still  believe  I  could 
exclaim,  with  the  prophet  of  old,  'I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord, 
I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation.' 

"Three  weeks  after  the  demise  of  my  son,  death  made 
another  inroad  among  us.  A  little  boy,  ten  years  of  age, 
son  of  my  wife's  sister,  Maria  Quintal,  pierced  his  foot  with 
a  barbed  arrow  (used  for  taking  fish  from  the  holes  in  the 
rocks),  which  induced  tetanus,  and  in  forty-eight  hours  af- 
ter the  terrible  disease  had  commenced,  his  happy  spirit 
flew  to  the  realms  of  bliss.  During  the  period  of  the  vio- 
lent constrictions  of  the  suffering  body,  the  dear  child 
would  speak  of  his  blessed  Saviour,  and  ask  Him  to  take 
him  to  be  with  those  whom  He  took  in  His  arms  when  on 
earth.  The  patient  sufferer  was  aware  that  he  could  not 
recover ;  still  he  never  expressed  the  least  fear  of  death. 
At  the  time  of  his  departure  I  was  praying  with  him,  his 
parents  and  several  other  persons  kneeling  around  his  bed, 
when  he  gave  a  slight  shudder,  and  exclaimed  in  a  clear, 
audible  voice, '  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit !' 

"  But  one  fortnight  had  elapsed  from  that  period,  when 
another  sad  and  awful  bereavement  fell  upon  the  commu- 
nity. Daniel  M'Koy  and  his  wife  went  to  the  north-west 
side  of  the  island  in  quest  of  fish.  After  descending  to  the 
rocks,  Daniel  left  his  wife  and  reascended,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  passing  the  head  of  a  small  inlet  of  the  sea,  and 
then  going  down  to  the  rocks  on  the  other  side.  While 
doing  so  he  fell,  and  his  wife  saw  him  roll  down  the  fall  of 
the  crag  and  lie  motionless  on  the  rugged  lava;  but  there 
was  the  before-mentioned  inlet  between  them,  into  which 
a  very  heavy  surf  was  running;  to  avoid  which  Daniel 
had  gone  round  the  head  of  the  bight,  and  it  was  in  the 
act  of  descending  to  the  shore  on  the  other  side  that  he 
fell.  His  wife,  without  hesitation,  plunged  into  the  heavy 
surf  (which  she  had  unfortunately  persuaded  her  husband 
to  avoid),  and,  landing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  inlet, 


DEATH  OF  DANIEL  M'KOY.  247 

found  him  on  the  rugged  lava  of  the  shore — a  corpse. 
She  had  the  presence  of  mind,  previous  to  her  braving  the 
foam-crested  billows,  to  call  a  lad  at  some  distance  fishing, 
and  dispatch  him  to  the  village  with  the  sad  tidings  that 
Daniel  had  fallen,  but  she  did  not  then  know  the  extent 
of  his  hurt.  Less  than  half  an  hour  previous  he  had  left 
her  with  a  smile  on  his  countenance,  for  Daniel  was  always 
in  a  cheerful  mood.  What  must  have  been  the  poor  crea- 
ture's agony  as  she  sat  by  her  dead  husband,  with  his 
head  resting  in  her  lap,  for  more  than  an  hour  ere  any  one 
could  come  to  her  assistance  !  Her  feelings  I  will  not  at- 
tempt to  describe,  but  I  will  tell  you  what  she  did.  On 
finding  life  extinct,  she  knelt  down  and  prayed  that  God 
would  give  her  grace  so  to  live  that  she  might  rejoin  her 
dear  Daniel  in  heaven.  '  For  I  am  sure,'  said  she,  when 
speaking  to  me  on  the  subject,  'that  he  was  prepared  for 
death,  and  that  takes  away  the  pain  of  my  great  loss.' 

"  I  was  in  bed  at  the  time  of  the  accident  suffering  from 
bronchitis,  when  a  long,  low  wail  reached  my  ear,  accom- 
panied by  exclamations  of  grief.  Jumping  from  my  bed,  I 
ran  out  of  doors,  forgetting  that  I  was,  or  had  been,  sick, 
and  on  inquiring  what  was  the  matter,  learned  that  Daniel 
M'Koy  was  badly  hurt,  if  not  killed,  by  falling  from  the 
precipice.  Most  of  the  men  were  out  in  their  canoes  fish- 
ing, it  being  Saturday ;  the  two  or  three  that  were  at 
home  hastened  to  the  spot,  and  several  of  the  women  fol- 
lowed, among  whom  was  my  wife.  Now,  as  they  would 
have  to  go  the  same  route  by  which  the  deceased  fell,  I 
was  in  great  fear  lest  a  similar  accident  might  befall  Mrs. 
Nobbs,  and  a  heavy  load  was  removed  when  I  saw  her  re- 
turn in  safety.  She  had  not  got  so  far  as  the  dangerous 
part  of  the  road,  when  she  met  one  of  the  men  returning, 
who  informed  her  that  poor  Daniel  was  dead.  A  canoe 
was  sent  to  summon  home  the  fishermen,  and  the  whale- 
boat  was  manned  and  taken  to  the  spot  where  the  corpse 
lay,  when,  with  some  difficulty  and  danger,  on  account  of 
the  heavy  surf,  it  was  put  into  a  boat  and  brought  round 
to  Bounty  Bay,  then  transferred  to  a  canoe  for  a  bier,  and 


248  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

borne  on  men's  shoulders  to  the  village.  I  had  been  busy 
preparing  bandages  and  such  other  things  as  might  be 
necessary,  and  placed  them  in  the  house  to  which  I  sup- 
posed he  would  be  brought,  but  the  sad  tidings  of  his 
death  rendered  all  my  intentions  useless.  However,  busy- 
ing myself  about  these  things  kept  me  in  a  great  measure 
from  the  painful  impressions  induced  by  suspense,  and 
from  fretting  myself  about  the  safety  of  my  dear  wife. 
But  a  chapter  from  the  Bible  and  a  few  words  of  prayer  I 
found  to  be  a  panacea.  At  length  the  women  returned, 
with  my  wife  and  eldest  daughter  (who  I  did  not  know 
had  gone),  and  I  was  truly  thankful. 

"A  messenger  now  came  from  Bounty  Bay,  summoning 
me  thither,  as  the  sister  and  brother  of  the  deceased  were 
both  attacked  with  spasmodic  fits.  Taking  some  reme- 
dies, I  started,  but  met  them  on  their  way  home.  Poor 
Lydia  M'Koy  came  home  in  the  whale-boat  with  the 
corpse.  On  examining  the  injuries,  I  found  the  spine 
broken  at  the  bend  of  the  shoulders,  and  the  occiput  bad- 
ly fractured,  but  there  were  no  other  bones  broken,  that  I 
could  ascertain. 

"  Such,  and  so  sudden,  was  the  death  of  Daniel  M'Koy, 
a  young  man  beloved  by  all  the  community,  and  most 
deservedly  so.  He  is  the  third  of  the  family  who  has 
met  an  untimely  end  within  a  very  few  years.  William 
M'Koy  died  from  lockjaw,  occasioned  by  a  splinter  of  wood 
running  into  the  upper  part  of  his  foot ;  Matthew  M'Koy 
from  wounds  received  by  the  accidental  explosion  of  the 
Bounty's  gun ;  and  now  the  third  brother,  Daniel,  by  fall- 
ing from  a  precipice  on  the  north-western  side  of  the  isl- 
and. May  the  God  of  the  widow  support  poor  Lydia  un- 
der the  awful  calamity !  She  has  no  children  to  rest  her 
affections  upon ;  but  she  has  a  mother,  and  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  receives  the  sympathy  of  the  whole  community. 
On  Him,  who  above  all  others  well  deserves  the  name  of 
Friend,  may  she  place  her  unwavering  trust ;  to  Him  let 
her  flee  as  a  very  present  help  in  trouble;  and  all  will 
then  be  well  both  for  time  and  eternity." 


NORFOLK  ISLAND. 


Library. 

CHAPTER  VI.      ^^ffi^^ 

Removal  of  the  Pitcaira  Islanders  to  Norfolk  Island. — Directions  of  his 
Excellency,  Sir  William  Denison,  K.C.B.,  respecting  Allotments  of 
Land. — Correspondence. — Voyage. — Arrival  at  Norfolk  Island. — Re- 
ception by  Captain  Denham,  H.M.S.  Herald. — Visit  of  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Selwyn,  and  of  the  Rev.  G.  N.  Patteson. 

It  will  have  been  observed  that  during  the  later  years 
of  the  period  we  have  just  concluded  a  change  had  begun 
to  manifest  itself  in  the  state  of  affairs  at  Pitcairn. 

The  colony,  hitherto  so  prosperous,  had  now  increased  to 
such  an  extent  that  the  "  small  rock  in  the  west "  was  no 
longer  able  to  maintain  the  population.  Their  difficulty 
appears  to  have  been  recognized  by  their  friends  in  Eng- 
land as  early  as  the  year  1853,  and  Admiral  Moresby,  in  a 
dispatch  to  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty,  observes  :  "  Their 
rapidly  increasing  numbers  render  the  produce  of  the  isl- 
and barely  sufficient  to  support  them ;  and  even,  with  the 
liberal  supplies  given  by  Her  Majesty's  Government,  and 
the  yet  larger  contributions  of  private  friends,  allow  but 
little  to  exchange  with  the  whalers  for  necessary  articles. 
Thus,"  he  concludes,  "  the  time  has  arrived  when  measures 
should  be  taken  for  their  future  welfare."  While  the  at- 
tention of  the  Pitcairn  Island  Fund  Committee  was  being 
anxiously  turned  in  this  direction,  the  Government  had 
happily  determined  that  Norfolk  Island  should  be  aban- 
doned as  a  convict  station. 

Before  any  steps  were  taken  regarding  the  removal  of 
the  islanders,  the  following  reports  were  received  from 
the  officers  who  had  belonged  to  the  commissariat  depart- 
ment in  Norfolk  Island  while  it  was  a   convict   station, 

11* 


250     ■  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

and  who,  therefore,  were    well  qualified  to   speak   of  its 
elimate  and  the  productions. 

Extract  from  John  W.  Smith's  Report  on  Norfolk  Island. 

"Commissariat,  Ionian  Islands,  Corfu,  March  19th,  1853. 

"From  November,  1841,  to  March,  1845, 1  had  charge 
of  the  commissariat  duties  at  Norfolk  Island,  and  having 
been  thus  afforded  peculiar  opportunities  for  ascertaining 
the  agricultural  and  other  resources  of  that  very  beauti- 
ful spot,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  expressing  a  decided  opin- 
ion that  it  would  prove  most  suitable  for  both  the  pres- 
ent inhabitants  of  Pitcairn's  Island  and  their  progeny  for 
many  years  to  come. 

"  Its  size  may  be  estimated  at  about  four  times  that  of 
Pitcairn's  Island,  being  twenty-seven  miles  in  circumfer- 
ence and  covering  a  surface  of  twelve  thousand  acres, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  of  a  black  vegetable  soil,  re- 
markable for  its  richness  and  fertility.  In  fact,  there  is 
very  little  inferior  land,  or,  indeed,  any  that  does  not  an- 
swer for,  at  least,  grazing  purposes. 

"  The  climate  is  healthy,  and  in  this  respect  there  can 
not  be  much  dissimilarity  between  the  two  places,  con- 
sidering their  relative  positions.  At  every  season  of  the 
year  there  is  an  abundant  supply  of  good  water  in  conven- 
ient situations ;  and  although  the  resources  for  fuel  must 
be  a  good  deal  diminished,  still  with  economy  and  pru- 
dent management  no  apprehension  need  be  entertained 
on  this  head,  as  a  great  number  of  young  trees  will  be 
coming  forward ;  and  even  if  the  wood  should  have  to 
be  brought  from  distant  localities,  this  would  be  rendered 
comparatively  easy  by  the  excellent  roads  with  which  the 
island  is  intersected  in  every  direction.  There  is  neither 
coal  nor  any  other  mineral  production,  so  far  as  can  be 
ascertained  from  researches  hitherto  made. 

"  The  staple  articles  of  agricultural  produce  are  maize 
and  sweet-potatoes.  Crops  of  these  may  always  be  reck- 
oned upon,  though  from  accidental  causes  they  sometimes 


NORFOLK  ISLAND.  251 

fall  rather  short  of  an  average.  Yams,  pumpkins,  and 
even  the  common  potato,  may  be  grown  to  any  extent, 
so  that  a  superabundance  of  wholesome  food,  such  as  they 
have  been  accustomed  to,  would  surely  be  available,  not 
only  for  the  primitive  islanders  themselves  but  for  all  the 
live-stock  they  might  require  to  maintain. 

"  Nearly  all  the  varieties  of  English  vegetables  are 
raised  in  profusion ;  and  the  soil  and  climate  are  so  pecu- 
liarly favorable  to  the  growth  of  coffee,  arrowroot,  and 
tobacco,  that  these  articles,  in  addition  to  poultry,  eggs, 
etc.,  would  afford  the  settlers  a  very  valuable  means  of 
barter  for  clothing  and  such  other  extraneous  supplies  as 
they  may  require.  Coffee  in  particular  may  be  mentioned, 
which  is  of  the  finest  quality,  and  can  be  propagated  to 
almost  any  extent  from  the  present  stock,  which  is  by  no 
means  inconsiderable  ;  while,  from  the  light  description  of 
labor  required  in  its  care  and  gathering,  it  would  afford 
a  very  suitable  occupation  to  the  women  and  children  of 
the  community. 

"  Guavas  and  lemons  grow  wild  to  an  unlimited  extent, 
and  there  are  two  crops  of  the  former  every  year ;  they 
come  in  well  to  assist  in  feeding  pigs.  Oranges  are 
scarce,  but  there  are  plenty  of  peaches,  grapes,  melons,  figs, 
and  quinces,  with  even  bananas  and  pine-apples,  which, 
growing  as  they  do  in  the  open  air,  will  give  a  very  good 
idea  of  the  salubrity  of  the  climate." 

Me.  Pace,  Civil  Commander,  to  the  Comptroller-general, 

etc. 

"  Cape  Town.  June  3d,  1852. 
"  The  soil  of  Norfolk  Island  is  of  excellent  quality  (sim- 
ilar to  that  of  Pitcairn  Island).  In  favorable  seasons  an 
acre  of  land  of  average  quality  would  produce  about  fifty 
bushels  of  maize ;  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  tons  of 
sweet-potatoes  are  obtained  from  a  similar  space ;  about 
a  ton  of  arrowroot  is  the  average  crop  from  the  acre. 
Wheat  is  of  uncertain  growth  ;  the  barley  and  oats  of  the 
island  are  also  inferior,  but  rye  of  good  quality  is  obtained 


252  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

to  the  amount  of  about  thirty  bushels  to  the  acre.  All 
English  vegetables  grow  abundantly  during  the  winter 
and  spring  months.  The  lemon  and  guava  are  found  in 
abundance  in  all  the  gullies  in  the  island.  The  grape,  the 
fig,  the  orange,  the  shaddock,  pine-apple,  mulberry,  olive, 
loquat,  custard-apple,  and  other  fruits  grow  in  the  gar- 
dens; and  the  whole  island  is  capable  of  being  placed 
under  cultivation. 

"About  six  hundred  acres  have  been  under  the  plough, 
but  I  imagine,  from  my  knowledge  of  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  weeds  in  that  climate,  that  the  cleared  land  has  al- 
ready become  a  wilderness ;  but,  of  course,  it  can  be  ea- 
sily recovered,  having  once  been  under  cultivation.  Fish 
is  abundant  off  the  coast.  The  natural  grasses  are  capa- 
ble of  sustaining  about  six  thousand  sheep,  and,  I  should 
say,  one  thousand  head  of  horned  cattle,  together  with  a 
sufficiency  of  horses  for  agricultural  purposes.  The  main 
fences  are  new,  and,  I  believe,  will  last  for  the  next  nine 
years  ;  the  roads  are  in  fair  order ;  the  jetty  is  perfect,  so 
far  as  it  has  been  carried  out ;  the  stone-ways  for  the 
boats  were  about  being  laid  down  when  I  left  the  island. 
The  buildings  are  in  good  repair ;  a  new  barn  and  stable 
have  been  recently  erected.  The  siloes  for  the  storage  of 
grain  have  been  put  in  perfect  order ;  and  several  new 
and  substantial  quarters  erected  for  civilians. .  Limestone, 
sawing  and  splitting  timber,  as  likewise  fire-wood,  are  in 
abundance ;  and  there  exists  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that 
Norfolk  Island  is  fully  capable  of  maintaining  from  three 
to  four  thousand  free  people. 

"  The  cotton-tree  would  be  the  greatest  difficulty  they 
would  have  to  contend  against  at  Norfolk  Island.  It 
would  also  be  necessary  that  they  should  take  steps  to 
keep  up  the  supply  of  fire-wood.  Live-stock,  agricultural 
implements,  and  other  articles  could  be  left  on  the  island 
for  their  use." 

A  more  fortunate  opportunity  could  scarcely  have  pre- 
sented itself  for  meeting  the  requirements  of  the  Pitcairn 


PROPOSED  REMOVAL   TO  NORFOLK  ISLAND.         253 

colony.  An  area  of  between  ten  and  twelve  thousand 
acres  of  fertile  land  would  afford  space  for  the  new  set- 
tlers for  a  century  to  come,  while  the  remote  position  and 
exposed  coast-line  of  the  island  would  enable  them  to 
maintain  that  seclusion  which  had  been  productive  of  such 
happy  results.  The  Pitcairn  Fund*  Committee  according- 
ly requested  Admiral  Moresby  to  communicate  with  the 
inhabitants  of  Pitcairn,  and  to  learn  whether  they  would 
be  desirous  of  moving  to  Norfolk  Island  in  case  it  were 
possible  to  obtain  it  for  their  occupation.  An  answer 
was  received  in  the  affirmative,  and  the  chief  magistrate 
and  councillors  observed  in  their  reply :  "  It  is  very  evi- 
dent that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  Pitcairn  Island 
will  be  altogether  inadequate  to  the  rapidly-increasing 
population,  and  the  inhabitants  do  unanimously  agree  in 
soliciting  the  aid  of  the  British  Government  in  transfer- 
ring them  to  Norfolk  Island,  or  some  other  appropriate 
place."  They  at  the  same  time  expressed  a  hope  that 
they  might  be  allowed  to  remain  in  the  same  seclusion 
which  they  had  hitherto  enjoyed  in  Pitcairn.  The  assent 
of  the  Government  to  these  arrangements  having  been  ob- 
tained, the  execution  of  them  was  committed  to  Sir  Wil- 
liam Denison,  K.C.B.,  Governor-general  of  New  South 
Wales,  and  Captain  Freemantle,  R.N.,  commanding  the 
Juno. 

The  latter  accordingly  paid  a  visit  to  Pitcairn  in  1855, 
when,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  the  people  by  no  means 
unanimous  in  their  desire  for  removal.  The  lamentable 
results  of  the  migration  to  Tahiti  appeared  to  be  still 
fresh  in  the  memory  of  the  elder  part  of  the  community. 
Captain  Freemantle,  convinced  that  the  change  would  be 

*  Some  of  the  most  influential  of  their  friends  had  formed  a  committee 
to  protect  the  interests  of  the  islanders,  and  to  manage  the  funds  collected 
for  their  benefit. 


1>54  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

greatly  for  their  benefit,  exerted  himself  to  overcome  their 
apprehensions,  and  that  natural  clinging  which  all  feel  for 
the  place  of  their  birth ;  and  his  representations  were  at- 
tended with  so  much  success  that,  finally,  all  but  a  very 
small  minority  agreed  to  accept  the  offered  grant.  He 
concludes  his  account  of  this  visit  with  the  following  tes- 
timony to  the  character  and  good-will  of  the  islanders : 

"  I  can  only  add  my  corroboration  to  their  still  remain- 
ing the  same  cheerful,  docile,  and  unsophisticated  commu- 
nity they  have  so  often  been  represented  to  be.  The  en- 
thusiasm displayed  by  the  officers,  and  especially  by  the 
ship's  company,  for  their  welfare,  was  quite  uncontrolla- 
ble ;  they  were  ready  to  part  with  any  thing,  every  thing, 
to  supply  or  gratify  thehi,  and  equally  anxious  to  carry 
away  some  object  or  token  in 'remembrance  of  the  island, 
even  to  the  stones  on  the  beach  ;  but  the  girls,  perceiving 
this,  ran  and  collected  a  quantity  of  tappa,  sufficient  for 
every  man  in  the  ship  to  receive  a  suitable  memorial." 

As  a  man-of-war  could  not  be  spared  from  the  station, 
an  emigrant  ship,  the  Morayshire,  was  commissioned  to 
transfer  the  islanders  to  their  new  home.  Lieutenant 
Gregorie  of  the  Juno  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  re- 
moval; but  on  his  arrival  at  Pitcairn  he  found  the  work 
of  persuasion  had  to  be  undertaken  over  again,  although 
Sir  William  Denison  had  drawn  up  a  report  of  Norfolk 
Island,  describing  the  advantages  offered. 

The  directions  to  Lieutenant  Gregorie  respecting  the 
distribution  of  land  in  Norfolk  Island  to  the  Pitcairn  colo- 
ny were  as  follows : 

"Sir  W.  Denison  to  Acting-Lieutenant  Gregorie,  R.N., 
Agent  on  board  the  ship  Morayshire. 

"February,  1856. 
"You  will  proceed  to  divide  among  the  different  fami- 
lies  the   land,  which,  having   been   already   cleared,  will 


NEGOTIATIONS  FOR  REMOVAL.  255 

probably  be  easier  brought  into  cultivation  than  the 
bush-land;  and  you  will  impress  upon  each  and  all  the 
absolute  necessity  of  proceeding  to  clear  and  cultivate  it 
without  delay.  Maize  has  been  sent  down  for  seed,  and 
sweet-potatoes  will  be  found  in  the  island  itself. 

"  You  will  mark  off  a  portion  of  the  cleared  as  a  reserve 
for  church  and  school  purposes ;  that  is,  as  a  glebe  for  the 
clergyman,  which  will  be  sufficient  for  his  support  and  for 
that  of  a  school-master,  say  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two 
hundred  acres. 

"  You  will  also  mark  off  as  a  reserve  for  public  purposes 
a  portion  of  land  along  the  margin  of  the  sea  at  both  land- 
ing-places, and  it  would  probably  be  as  well  that  the  land 
now  occupied  by  the  jail  and  some  other  of  the  public 
buildings  should  be  included  in  this  public  reserve,  unless 
they  are  absolutely  required  for  private  occupation. 

"  Of  the  inclosed  land,  a  portion,  say  five  hundred  acres, 
more  or  less,  may  be  reserved  for  public  purposes." 

A  few  enterprising  spirits  seconded  Lieutenant  Greg- 
orie's  efforts,  but  in  general  he  encountered  a  depressing 
amount  of  indifference  which  the  Tahitian  connection 
seemed  to  have  infused  into  the  character  of  the  people. 
At  length,  however,  his  earnest  representations,  assisted 
greatly  by  the  prospect  of  an  unconditional  grant  of  such 
a  valuable  possession  as  Norfolk  Island,  prevailed. 

Mr.  Robinson,*  who  accompanied  Lieutenant  Gregorie, 
gives  the  following  account  of  these  negotiations  : 

"  We  had  previously  h^ard  that  there  were  some  who 
all  along  expressed  a  determination  not  to  leave  their 
birthplace,  and  our  object  in  this  second  meeting  wTas  to 
hear  the  reasons  they  had  to  adduce,  and  on  our  part  to 
exert  ourselves  to  the  utmost  to  bring;  them  round  to 


*  Mr.  Robinson  had  taken  a  passage  in  the  Morayshire,  for  the  benefit 
of  his  health,  and  to  assist  in  the  removal  of  the  Pitcairn  Islanders  to  Nor- 
folk Island. 


256  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

adopt  a  course  which  we  considered  would  be  conferring 
upon  them  a  lasting  benefit.  At  the  hour  appointed 
every  man  was  at  his  post,  and  the  matter  was  argued 
with  great  spirit  '  pro  and  con.'  Some  of  the  older  people 
began  to  recur  to  their  departure  from  the  island  many 
years  previously,  when  they  were  removed  to  Tahiti  by 
the  British  Government — from  whence  the  survivors  made 
their  way  back  after  suffering  great  privations,  and  the 
loss  of  many  of  those  who  had  been  their  companions  at 
the  outset — and  they  could  not  remove  from  their  minds 
the  idea  that  this  was  going  to  be  a  second  edition.  Oth- 
ers could  not  bear  the  thought  of  leaving  the  graves  of 
their  relatives,  and  the  home  in  which  they  had  been 
born,  brought  up,  and  spent  so  many  happy  days.  We 
soon  found  that,  owing  to  their  relationship  being  so  inter- 
woven by  marriage,  unless  we  could  bring  all  the  old 
folks  into  our  way  of  thinking,  many  families  must  be  left 
behind,  as  the  younger  part  were  universally  inclined  to 
go,  provided  they  were  accompanied  by  their  parents.  So 
we  set  about  in  good  earnest  by  the  most  persuasive  ar- 
guments to  bring  them  to  a  belief  that  wiser  heads  than 
theirs  had  concocted  this  plan  with  no  other  view  than  for 
their  benefit,  and  that  if  it  were  rejected,  after  all  the 
trouble  and  expense  incurred  by  the  British  Government, 
they  must  forfeit  all  further  claim  on,  and  protection  from, 
those  who  had  hitherto  been  their  greatest  benefactors, 
and  who  were  now  displaying  it  in  so  noble  a  manner  as 
to  place  at  their  disposal  one  of  the  most  beautiful  islands 
in  the  world.  We  eventually  succeeded,  and  brought 
away  every  soul." 

Captain  Denham*  of  H.M.S.  Herald,  who  had  been  car- 
rying on  a  survey  for  several  years  in  the  South  Pacific 
Ocean,  in  a  Hydrographic  notice  addressed  to  Captain 
Washington,  R.N.,  Hydrographer  to  the  Admiralty,  dated 
Norfolk  Island,  June  16th,  1856,  observes : 

*  Now  Vice-admiral  Sir  Henry  Denham,  K.C.B. 


EMBARKATION  FOR  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  257 

"Looking  to  the  date  of  the  transport  Morayshire,  Mr. 
John  Mathers,  belonging  to  Mr.  Dunbar,  London,  acting 
under  the  agency  of  Lieutenant  G.  W.  Gregorie,of  H.M.S. 
Juno,  having  left  Sydney  under  instructions  of  His  Excel- 
lency, the  governor-general,  and  of  Captain  S.  G.  Freeman- 
tie,  last  February  to  bring  the  Pitcairn  Island  community 
to  this  island,  I  had  reason  to  expect  them  every  day.  As 
the  presence  of  one  of  Her  Majesty's  ships  at  the  new 
home  of  that  interesting  people  would  doubtless  cheer 
them,  as  well  as  afford  essential  aid  in  landing  and  organ- 
izing them,  and  of  clearing  the  island  as  soon  as  possible 
of  its  residue  as  a  penal  settlement — upon  all  which  points 
and  general  views  I  was  cognizant  of  the  wishes  of  Gov- 
ernment— I  became  solicitous  of  being  on  the  spot. 

"Fortunately  on  Sunday,  8th  of  June,  although  a  gloomy, 
boisterous  day,  with  considerable  surf,  the  Morayshire  not 
only  closed  with  the  island,  but  being  joined  by  the  Her- 
ald, and  assisted  by  a  tracing  of  our  survey,  took  up  a  fa- 
vorable position  for  disembarkation,  and  by  sunset  the  Pit- 
cairn community,  numbering  one  hundred  and  ninety-four 
persons,  were  comfortably  housed  as  well  as  landed.  I 
was  invited  to  their  first  evening  service  in  their  new 
home,  when  a  special  thanksgiving  was  rendered  unto  God 
for  the  preservation  vouchsafed  to  them. 

"  It  was  an  exemplary  manifestation  of  habitual  piety, 
that  would  not  allow  fatigue,  amounting  with  many  to  al- 
most exhaustion,  nor  excitement  at  the  extreme  novelty 
of  all  around  them,  to  interfere  with  their  wonted  primary 
duty  of  life. 

"  To  the  manner  in  which  Acting-lieutenant  Gregorie 
managed  their  embarkation,  so  that  every  movable  ar- 
ticle, even  to  the  'gun'  and  ' anvil'  of  the  Bounty,  has 
been  transferred,  and  the  accommodating  spirit  in  which 
the  master  of  the  transport  carried  out  his  undertaking 
on  a  five  weeks'  passage — during  which  the  most  tender 
treatment  was  necessary  for  alarming  cases  of  sea-sickness 
that  ceased  not  from  island  to  island,  including  a  birth 
which  took  place — may  be  attributed  the  accomplishment 


258  TEE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

of  an  event  so  vitally  important  to  this  community,  and  in 
accordance  with  the  deep  interest  taken  in  them  by  Her 
Majesty  and  the  Government.  The  ensuing  week  has  been 
successfully  employed  in  landing  all  the  seventy  years' 
gathering  of  chattels  belonging  to  the  Pitcairners ;  not- 
withstanding the  precarious  sea-board  of  this  island,  caus- 
ing ships  to  put  to  sea  every  night.  They  could  therefore 
duly  observe  yesterday's  Sabbath  in  the  first  fitted-up 
church  they  had  seen,  when  the  sacrament  was  most  im- 
pressively administered  to  us  all.  Our  artificers  have 
communicated  to  these  apt  people  the  uses  of  a  variety  of 
tools  and  implements,  including  that  of  the  wind  and  wa- 
ter-mill on  the  island." 

We  shall  now  give  some  extracts  from  Mr.  Nobbs's  di- 
ary of  the  embarkation  at  Pitcairn,  the  voyage,  and  arrival 
of  the  community  at  Norfolk  Island. 

"Pitcairn,  Monday,  April  21st,  1856. — This  afternoon, 
while  busily  engaged  in  the  school,  a  piercing  and  electri- 
fying shout  informed  me  that  a  ship  was  in  sight ;  but  it 
was  a  long  time  before  any  one  came  down  from  the  hill 
to  inform  me  what  she  looked  like.  About  three  o'clock 
it  was  ascertained  she  was  a  large  merchant-ship,  standing 
in  for  the  land.  At  four  she  rounded  St.  Peter's  rock,  and 
then  we  perceived  she  had  a  pennant  flying.  On  this  be- 
ing made  known,  some  one  exclaimed, '  That  is  the  ship 
come  to  convey  us  to  Norfolk  Island,  and  the  pennant  de- 
notes she  has  a  naval  officer  on  board.'  Having  heard 
from  the  Dido,  but  little  more  than  a  week  since,  that  the 
ship  for  removing  us  was  not  to  be  here  before  the  latter 
end  of  July,  I  could  not  believe  this  was  the  vessel,  al- 
though every  one  seemed  to  be  sure  it  was  she. 

"As  soon  as  she  came  within  distance,  a  canoe  with  two 
men  went  to  the  vessel  (both  our  whale-boats  being  in 
pieces),  and  we  were  anxiously  looking  for  the  preconcert- 
ed signal,  if,  indeed,  the  general  conjecture  should  be  cor- 
rect. No  signal,  however,  appeared ;  but  one  of  the  men 
who  went  on  board  in  the  canoe  stood  on  the  ship's  taff- 


-       EMBARKATION  FOR  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  259 

rail  and  waved  his  cap  to  seaward,  which  was  interpreted 
by  the  most  sanguine  as  an  acknowledgment  that  it  was 
the  Norfolk  Island  ship.  Still  I  continued  in  unbelief,  un- 
til the  ship's  boat  landed,  bringing  the  commander  and 
Lieutenant  Gregorie  of  the  Juno,  appointed  to  superintend 
the  embarkation  of  all  those  who  were  disposed  to  accept 
Her  Majesty's  most  gracious  offer :  to  wit,  Norfolk  Island 
and  all  that  appertains  thereto,  for  themselves  and  fam- 
ilies.* Such  an  unqualified  offer  of  so  beautiful  a  spot  is 
easier  to  imagine  than  to  realize,  but  it  is  a  bond  fide  real- 
ity to  us.  And  yet  there  is  more  than  one  family  who  de- 
mur at  going,  and  I  regret  to  say  too  much  coaxing  and 
persuading  has  been  used  by  Lieutenant  Gregorie  and  the 
commander  of  the  ship  ;  but  they  did  it  from  pure  benev- 
olence. 

"  However,  all  hands,  except  George  Adams's  family  (I 
do  not  include  his  eldest  son),  went  steadily  to  work  pack- 
ing and  carrying ;  and  here  I  give  a  few  extracts  from  my 
private  journal : 

"  24£A. — A  fresh  breeze  from  the  southward,  and  the  surf 
is  rugged  at  Bounty  Bay.  At  seven  o'clock  the  ship  an- 
chored, but  at  too  great  a  distance  from  the  shore.  A 
southerly  squall,  blowing  across  the  island,  caused  the  ship 
to  drag,  and  very  soon  the  anchor  could  not  touch  the 
bottom  with  fifty  fathoms  of  chain  out.  Some  of  our  peo- 
ple went  on  board  to  assist  in  heaving  up  the  anchor,  and 
heavy  work  it  was.  Several  hours  were  unavoidably  lost. 
Five  boats  well  loaded  went  on  board  to-day,  but  it  is 
herculean  labor  to  carry  heavy  chests  and  casks  down 
from  the  village  to  Bounty  Bay,  and  then  pull  them  off 
four  or  five  miles  to  the  ship. 

"  25th. — A  very  fresh  breeze  this  morning.     The  hell  was 

*  This  communication  caused  an  unfortunate  impression  to  rest  on  their 
minds,  which,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  succeeding  pages,  was  a  source  of 
much  pain  and  disappointment.  There  should  have  been  a  distinct  un- 
derstanding, in  fact,  a  charter,  defining  the  extent  of  their  rights  and  prop- 
erty in  the  island.  It  is,  however,  very  probable  that  on  such  an  under- 
standing they  would  not  have  left  Pitcairn. 


260  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  TEE  BOUNTY. 

rung  at  daylight  to  commence  work :  got  off  eight  loads 
during  the  day,  without  any  accident.  The  ship  is  well 
provided  with  excellent  boats. 

"26th. — Fair  weather,  wind  somewhat  more  to  east- 
ward ;  ship  very  handy.  Employed  all  the  day  in  getting 
chests,  beds,  etc.,  on  board.  Towards  evening  it  became 
squally,  and  rained  heavily.  George  Adams  has  at  length 
concluded  to  go  with  the  rest.  Killed  a  young  cow,  and 
sent  part  of  it  on  board  the  ship  for  the  use  of  the  crew. 

"  21th,  Sunday. — Divine  service  twice,  weather  fine,  bap- 
tized Priscilla  Pitcairn  Quintal,  so  named,  as  she  will  in  all 
probability  be  the  last  born  (of  this  community)  on  the 
island. 

"  28th. — All  hands  busily  employed  embarking  chattels, 
sweet-potatoes,  and  hogs. 

"  29th  and  30th. — Cloudy  weather,  but  moderate,  the 
ship  a  long  way  off.  The  sea  as  smooth  as  glass,  but  the 
ship  too  far  off  to  attempt  going  on  board.  There  is  a 
strong  current  sweeping  her  to  the  eastward. 

"May  1st. — A  moderate  breeze  from  the  southward,  the 
ship  handy.  This  day  assembled  for  the  last  time  (as  we 
supposed)  in  our  church  for  Divine  service.  It  was  a  sol- 
emn time  ;  most  of  the  congregation  were  deeply  affected. 
All  the  rest  of  the  day  employed  in  getting  things  off  to 
the  ship.  Went  on  board  to  examine  her,  and  found  her 
all  that  could  be  desired.  Towards  evening  returned  on 
shore,  having  had  a  most  kind  reception  from  Captain 
Mathers.  There  is  no  surgeon  on  board,  so  that  the  med- 
ical as  well  as  the  clerical  superintendence  will  devolve 
on  me. 

"May  2d. — Weather  still  fair,  nearly  all  our  movables 
on  board,  so  that  it  is  probable,  with  the  permission  of  the 
Almighty,  we  shall  embark  our  families  on  the  coming 
morrow.  Although  no  demurrage  is  allowed,  the  captain 
complains  not  of  the  long  detention,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
is  anxious  we  should  leave  nothing  behind  that  may  possi- 
bly be  of  service  to  us  in  our  new  home. 

"Saturday,  May  3d.  —  Fine  weather,  breakfast   eaten 


THE  VOYAGE  TO  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  261 

with  heavy  hearts.  My  family  being  among,  those  ap- 
pointed to  embark  first,  previous  to  doing  so,  Mrs.  Nobbs 
and  myself  went  into  the  grave-yard,  where  are  deposited 
the  remains  of  our  first-born.  Scarcely  a  Word  was  spoken 
by  either  of  us,  but  tears  fell  freely.  Why  ?  JSTot  because 
we  lamented  the  lot  of  a  saint  in  Christ,  but  because  we 
were  about  to  leave  the  grave  and  head-stone,  those  frail 
memorials  which  had  become  unspeakably  dear  to  us,  nev- 
er to  behold  them  again.  These  reflections  caused  our 
tears,  and  not  an  ungrateful  repining  that  our  son  was 
with  the  Lord.  Vale  Reuben !  till  this  corruptible  shall 
put  on  incorruption. 

"  In  the  dusk  of  the  evening  Pitcairn  Island  receded 
from  view.  There  were  very  few  of  the  late  inhabitants 
on  deck  to  take  a  last  lingering  look  at  the  much-loved 
and  ever-to-be-remembered  island,  but  very  many  men, 
women,  and  children  wished  themselves  on  shore  again, 
so  intensely  were  they  suffering  from  sea-sickness.  This 
state  of  things  continued  for  several  days ;  at  length  some 
of  the  convalescents  began  to  appear  on  deck,  which  soon 
became  studded  over  with  smiling  faces.  The  messes 
were  now  properly  arranged,  and  regulations  similar  to 
those  on  board  well-conducted  emigrant  ships  observed. 
During  the  whole  passage  the  community  assembled  at  7 
a.m.  on  the  berth-deck  at  the  ringing  of  a  bell,  purposely 
suspended  there,  when  the  Scriptures  were  read,  and 
prayer  offered  to  the  Father  of  Mercies  to  implore  his  pro- 
tection for  the  coming  day. 

"At  eight  o'clock  the  mess-tables  were  lowered  and 
breakfast  commenced ;  immediately  after  breakfast  all  the 
women  and  children  who  were  able  went  on  deck,  while 
the  men  and  lads  gave  the  berth-deck  a  thorough  cleans- 
ing. 

"At  1  p.m.  dinner  was  served,  and  then  such  rattling  of 
the  plates  and  spoons,  such  passing  between  the  mess-ta- 
bles with  soup  and  beef,  or  salt  pork  and  peas,  or  some- 
thing equally  palatable,  that  it  was  a  pleasant  thing  to  sit 
at  one  end  of  the  deck  and  take  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the 


262  THE  MUTINEEMS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

whole.  Grace  being  said  by  the  senior  person  oi  each 
mess,  proofs  of  good  appetite  were  not  wanting,  though  in 
that  respect  there  was  a  manifest  difference  between  a  fair 
wind  and  a  foul  one,  if  the  latter  was  producing  a  head  sea. 
At  3  p.m.  the  bell  rang,  and  Divine  service  was  performed, 
Lieutenant  Gregorie  always  attending  with  the  communi- 
ty. After  service  all  that  were  able  went  on  deck,  and 
generally  remained  there  till  supper-time,  which  was  six 
o'clock.  At  eight  the  bell  again  rang,  and  all  assembled 
for  prayers.  The  service  commenced  by  singing  a  hymn, 
then  reading  the  Scriptures,  prayers,  and  concluded  by  all 
joining  in  the  evening  hymn,  then  whoever  chose  went  to 
bed ;  some  went  to  sit  on  deck  for  a  while,  and  many  of 
the  younger  people  spent  a  couple  of  hours  singing  under 
the  instruction  of  Charles  Christian.  At  nine  o'clock  the 
captain  of  the  ship  and  myself  went  round  to  see  that  all 
was  right,  and  visit  the  sick  in  the  hospital  (if  any  were 
there,  as  was  generally  the  case),  and  there  my  duties  for 
the  day  ended.  But  frequently  I  had  to  get  up  during  the 
night  to  attend  some  one.  I  also  prescribed  for  those  who 
were  unwell  among  the  ship's  company.  Westerly  winds 
prevailing,  we  had  a  long  and  tedious  passage,  though  not 
an  uncomfortable  one. 

"Friday,  June  6th.  —  *  Land  ho !'  I  forgot  to  note  in 
the  proper  place  that  shortly  after  leaving  Pitcairn  we 
changed  the  day  of  the  week — that  is  we  went  forward  a 
day ;  this  was  done  to  make  our  hebdomadal  calendar  co- 
incide with  that  of  New  South  Wales.  During  the  night 
a  very  heavy  squall  struck  the  ship,  and  caused  some  con- 
sternation among  the  more  timid ;  the  lightning  was  also 
vivid. 

"Sunday,  June  Sth. — Cloudy  weather.  Close  in  with 
Norfolk  Island ;  very  much  disappointed  with  its  appear- 
ance from  the  present  point  of  view,  which  is  directly  off 
the  settlement,  and  presents  a  succession  of  hillocks  and 
shallow  ravines  covered  with  short  brown  grass,  but 
scarcely  a  tree  to  be  seen.  Every  face  wore  an  expression 
of  disappointment,  having  been  accustomed  to  hear  the 


;■:  '•;•. 

l       £l 

1     & 

r  !™S  McjEf 

* 

-#:*:'i;l'7s*:'j:*i 
ft           '    '    ■*'•  " 

1    v     r;..  :: 

ARRIVAL  AT  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  265 

island  so  highly  extolled.  No  doubt  other  parts  have  a 
better  appearance,  but  this  side  certainly  bears  no  com- 
parison with  our  Rock  in  the  West. 

"At  10  a.m.,  left,  with  my  family  and  some  others,  in  the 
ship's  life-boat.  It  blew  fresh,  and  we  were  nearly  two 
hours  rowing  to  shore.  The  wind  being  off  the  land  dur- 
ing  our  passage,  several  squalls  of  rain  occurred,  and  the 
boat  leaking  badly,  we  were  thoroughly  drenched,  the 
women  and  children  presenting  a  most  forlorn  appearance. 
Being  conducted  by  Mr.  Stewart  to  his  residence,  I  depos- 
ited my  wife  there,  and  then  returned  to  the  pier.  On  my 
way  thither,  I  went  into  the  large  building  where  our  peo- 
ple were  congregating,  and  seeing  they  were  beginning  to 
feel  comfortable,  I  returned  to  the  landing-place.  One  of 
the  Government  prisoners — doing  duty  as  a  constable  to 
prevent  any  one  intruding  into  the  precincts  of  the  large 
building  (formerly  the  soldiers'  barracks)  where  our  peo- 
ple were  assembling — seeing  how  thoroughly  drenched  I 
was,  gave  me  so  pressing  an  invitation  to  go  to  his  dwell- 
ing, which  was  adjacent,  and  change  my  clothes,  that  I  did 
not  refuse  his  offer.  He  supplied  me  with  a  decent  suit, 
and  moreover  brought  me  a  mug  of  hot  tea  and  some  ex- 
cellent bread  and  butter.  All  this  was  done  so  respectful- 
ly, and  with  such  good  grace,  that  I  forgot  that  this  man 
was  a  twice-convicted  prisoner.  He  was  a  man,  as  I  after- 
wards learned,  of  good  education,  and  had  formerly  filled 
a  very  responsible  situation  in  H.M.'s  Customs  in  Ireland, 
but  was  banished  for  forgery.  Having  partially  gained 
his  freedom,  he  again  committed  some  offense,  for  which 
he  was  exiled  for  life  to  Norfolk  Island;  but  his  good 
conduct  had  obtained  him  some  indulgence,  and  he  was 
now  acting  as  chief  constable  over  the  ten  or  twelve 
prisoners  who  remained  to  take  care  of  the  place  until 
our  arrival. 

"Monday,  9th. — Moderate  weather.  Every  thing  de- 
notes that  we  are  in  a  strange  country ;  the  size  of  the 
houses — the  oxen  yoked  to  the  carts,  bringing  our  goods 
from  the  pier  to  the  place  where  we  reside — this  same 

12 


266  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

building  three  stories  high,  and  each  room  eighteen  feet  in 
height ;  all  and  every  thing  astonished  our  people. 

"Sunday,  15th. — For  some  days  little  has  been  done  to- 
wards landing  any  thing,  the  Morayshire  being  obliged 
from  bad  weather  to  get  under  way.  Divine  service 
twice  in  the  church,  which  is  much  out  of  repair  about  the 
roof.  Administered  the  Holy  Communion  to  fifty-eight 
persons,  but  the  only  persons  not  of  our  community  were 
Captain  Denham  and  Mr.  Gregorie. 

"There  are  two  things  in  which  we  feel  disappointed, 
to  wit,  the  paucity  of  wood  and  water.  There  is  scarcely 
a  tree  in  sight  from  the  settlement,  except  some  dozen  or 
two  pines  planted  near  the  Government-house,  and,  with 
one  exception,  all  the  water  has  to  be  raised  from  a  few 
dangerous  wells,  sixty  or  seventy  feet  deep.  We  expect- 
ed from  what  we  had  heard  to  have  found  many  rivulets, 
and  plenty  of  trees  around  the  houses,  but  all  stand  ex- 
posed to  the  bleak  south  wind.  There  is  wood  about  the 
vicinity  of  Mount  Pitt  and  towards  the  Cascades — which, 
by-the-by,  is  a  misnomer,  for  there  is  very  little  water 
there — but  the  trees  within  two  miles  of  our  dwelling  are 
few  and  far  between. 

"  Wednesday,  25th. — Our  boats  went  on  board  and,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  men-of-war's  boats,  got  the  remainder 
of  our  things  on  shore,  and  in  good  condition.  The  Mo- 
rayshire is  now  ready  for  sea.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  em- 
barked, with  the  convict  establishment  under  his  charge. 
The  Herald  will  also  sail  to-morrow.  Captain  Freemantle 
came  on  shore  and  read  to  me  the  articles  respecting  the 
cession  of  Norfolk  Island  (with  certain  reserves)  to  the 
community,  late  of  Pitcairn  Island.  He  then  handed  the 
paper  over  to  the  magistrate  (Frederick  Young),  to  be  re- 
served as  a  memorial  of  the  cession. 

"Thursday,  26th. — Early  this  morning  Captain  Mathers 
embarked,  and  with  him  our  most  respected  and  worthy 
friend  Augustus  Robinson,  Esq.  From  the  time  this  gen- 
tleman landed  at  Pitcairn  to  this  day,  he  has  been  held  in 
the  highest  estimation  by  the  whole  community.    His  suav- 


THE  PITCAIMNEMS  ON  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  267 

ity  of  manner  and  intelligent  conversation,  with  the  kindly- 
interest  he  took  in  the  welfare  of  every  one,  have  obtained 
for  him  a  remembrance  that  will  long  be  gratefully  cher- 
ished. The  Morayshire  got  under  way,  and  proceeded  to 
Van  Diemen's  Land.     God  preserve  those  on  board !" 

Mr.  Robinson's  impression  of  the  character  of  the  island- 
ers was  equally  favorable.     He  writes  to  a  friend : 

"My  sojourn  amongst  these  interesting  people  extended 
over  a  period  of  two  months,  during  which  I  had  every 
opportunity  of  becoming  acquainted  with  their  manners, 
habits,  and  general  mode  of  life,  and  I  can  easily  imagine 
that  they  must  have  been  superlatively  happy  at  Pitcairn. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  as  soon  as  they  become  settled  in 
their  new  abode  they  will  enjoy  themselves  as  fully  there. 
Their  modesty  of  demeanor,  urbanity  of  manner,  affection- 
ate disposition,  and  personal  appearance,  have  won  for 
them  the  esteem  and  admiration  of  all  who  have  visited 
them.  Their  extreme  absence  of  suspicion  renders  them 
peculiarly  liable  to  fall  a  prey  to  designing  individuals, 
and  it  is  sincerely  to  be  hoped,  now  that  they  are  to  be 
brought  into  contact  with  more  of  the  evil  existing  in  the 
world,  they  may  be  preserved  from  its  injurious  effects. 
They  place  implicit  reliance  in  every  word  that  is  said,  as 
they  have  not  the  slightest  idea  of  any  thing  in  the  shape 
of  a  joke ;  and  if  they  do  afterwards  discover  that  any 
thing  has  been  told  them  with  this  intent,  it  is  set  down 
as  a  falsehood.  The  mode  of  salutation  adopted  by  the 
females,  especially  after  the  first  introduction,  is  by  a  kiss, 
which  is  given,  on  their  part,  with  as  great  a  degree  of 
modesty  as  exists  during  the  exchange  of  civilities 
amongst  more  enlightened  communities.  They  appear 
more  like  one  large  family,  and  the  indiscriminate  atten- 
tion shown  towards  each  other's  offspring,  when  any  diffi- 
culty or  danger  exists,  is  very  striking.     I  never  witness- 


268  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

ed  any  thing  approaching  to  ill-feeling  or  anger  amongst 
them,  and  a  passage  of  Scripture  inculcated  into  their 
minds  by  old  John  Adams, '  Never  to  allow  the  sun  to  go 
down  upon  their  wrath,'  appears  to  have  become  so  com- 
pletely a  part  of  their  duty,  that  I  was  informed  by  Mr. 
Nobbs  they  might  often  be  seen  in  the  evening  issuing 
from  one  another's  houses  to  meet  and  make  up  any  little 
recrimination  that  had  taken  place  during  the  day.  In 
sickness  the  attention  paid  towards  each  other  is  such, 
that  they  take  it  in  turn  to  remain  up  with  the  invalid 
during  the  night,  and  arrange  their  watches  without  diffi- 
culty.    This  I  witnessed  over  and  over  again  on  board. 

"As  a  proof  of  the  affection  displayed  towards  their 
offspring,  I  will  just  mention  one  circumstance,  among 
many,  that  came  more  particularly  under  my  observation. 
On  our  arrival  we  found  an  infant,  about  three  months 
old,  very  dangerously  ill,  suffering  from  convulsions.  This 
child  was  the  grand  -  daughter  of  Mr.  George  Adams,  a 
man  of  about  fifty-two  years  of  age.  Mr.  Nobbs,  the  pas- 
tor and  surgeon,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the  child  could 
not  long  survive.  The  idea  of  taking  it  on  board  in  this 
state,  and  having  probably  to  throw  it  into  the  sea,  was 
so  revolting  to  the  parents,  and  the  old  man  especially, 
that  he  gave  vent  to  his  feelings  in  the  most  immoderate 
manner,  and  had  it  not  been  that  a  decided  change  for  the 
better  took  place  before  embarkation,  I  feel  confident  they 
would  have  remained  behind,  and  thus  materially  inter- 
fered with  our  plans.  They  did,  however,  take  the  pre- 
caution of  bringing  a  coffin,  but  as  this  was  entirely  at 
variance  with  nautical  ideas,  it  was  thrown  into  the  sea. 
During  the  passage  the  baby  recovered,  but  only  to  die  a 
few  days  after  landing,  and  it  was  the  first  of  their  num- 
ber that  was  consigned  to  the  earth  at  Norfolk  Island.  I 
attended  the   funeral,  conducted  after   the   form    of  the 


NORFOLK  ISLAND.— MR.  NOBBS'S  JOURNAL.  269 

Church  of  England,  with  the  exception  of  the  conclusion, 
which  was  by  singing  a  hymn  chosen  by  the  relatives  of 
the  departed.  Tears  flowed  fast  from  almost  every  eye. 
The  agonized  feelings  of  the  mother,  and,  indeed,  the  whole 
scene,  made  such  an  impression  on  my  mind  as  will  not 
easily  be  effaced. 

"After  remaining  with  them  at  their  new  abode  about 
a  fortnight,  we  parted  with  mutual  regret.  They  had  on 
several  occasions  asked  me  seriously  to  remain,  and,  al- 
though I  fancy  I  could  have  been  very  happy,  at  any  rate 
for  some  time,  I  was  compelled  to  decline  their  invitation, 
having  business  to  attend  to  elsewhere." 

June  26th,  the  same  day  the  Morayshire  sailed,  Mr. 
Nobbs  continues  his  diary  by  remarking  : 

"At  4  p.m.  Captain  Denham  embarked,  and  soon  after 
the  Herald  sailed.  The  Juno  also  got  up  her'  anchor,  but 
is  not  yet  going  to  leave  us.  ^ 

"Sunday,  29th. — Rainy  weather.  Divine  service  twice. 
The  roof  of  the  church  is  leaky,  and  my  surplice  is  no  pro- 
tection. I  fear  we  shall  have  to  abandon  the  church,  and 
use  one  of  the  large  rooms  in  the  Barracks  (which  is  al- 
most the  only  building  in  repair)  in  its  stead. 

"Friday,  July  4th. — This  morning  a  sail  was  descried 
at  no  great  distance.  By  her  rig  we  were  at  no  great  loss 
to  understand  whom  she  had  on  board,  for  we  had  learned 
that  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand*  had  touched  here  a  short 


*  "In  the  year  1842,  Bishop  Selwyn  was  consecrated  to  the  diocese  of 
New  Zealand,  together  with  the  islands  adjacent ;  but  for  seven  years  his 
time  was  so  much  taken  up  on  the  main  land,  that,  although  the  islands 
of  Melanesia  were  always  in  his  mind,  he  had  no  opportunity  of  personal- 
ly visiting  them  and  seeing  their  state  for  himself.  It  was  not  until  1849 
that  he  was  able  to  sail  in  his  little  Undine,  a  tiny  schooner  of  twenty-two 
tons,  in  which  he  was  wont  to  visit  the  shores  of  New  Zealand  and  the 
northern  islands,  and  that  he  laid  the  foundation  of  the  '  Melanesian  Mis- 
sion.' Norfolk  Island  is  the  most  southern  point  of  this  mission,  although 
not  originally  comprehended  in  it. 


270  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

time  previous  to  our  arrival,  and  that  his  lordship  intend- 
ed to  go  to  Sydney  and  then  return  hither.  As  soon  as 
she  approached  near  enough,  our  whale-boat  went  on 
board,  and.  soon  returned,  bringing  the  bishop's  chaplain, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Patteson. 

"  The  bishop  proposes  landing  to-morrow,  and  bringing 
Mrs.  Selwyn  with  him.  Mr.  Patteson  took  up  his  abode 
with  me,  and  after  supper  the  community  assembled  at  my 
house,  and  remained  some  hours  engaged  in  edifying  con- 
versation and  singing,  which  greatly  pleased  the  reverend 
gentleman. 

"Saturday,  5th. — Fine  weather  this  morning.  The  Rev. 
Mi*.  Patteson  returned  on  board,  and  the  bishop  and  Mrs. 
Selwyn  came  on  shore.  We,  as  it  may  be  supposed,  gave 
them  a  hearty  welcome,  and  Government-house  being  va- 
cant, it  was  appropriated  to  their  use  during  their  stay. 
In  the  evening  the  people  assembled  at  the  bishop's  resi- 
dence, and  were  much  pleased  to  find  that  a  bishop  could 
condescend  to  men  of  low  estate.  Myself  busied  at  home 
preparing  a  sermon  for  the  occasion — not  polishing  it,  but 
endeavoring  to  set  forth  the  duties  of  pastor  and  people ; 
I  trust  it  answered  the  intention ;  I  am  sure  I  earnestly 
prayed  that  it  might. 

"Sunday,  6th. — Divine  service  twice,  with  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper.  At  the  morning  service  I  read 
prayers,  and  the  bishop  preached  a  most  effective  sermon  ; 
it  was  almost  extemporary.  Afternoon,  the  bishop  read 
prayers,  and  mine  was  the  sermon.  After  service  the 
Sunday-school  was  assembled  for  the  first  time  since  our 
arrival.  The  bishop  took  one  class,  Mrs.  Selwyn  another, 
and  Mr.  Harper,  who   accompanied   the   bishop,  took   a 

"  These  islands  are  inhabited  by  a  perfectly  distinct  race  of  people  from 
the  olive-colored,  straight-haired  Malay  population  of  the  adjoining  tract 
of  Polynesia.  They  lie  between  150°  and  170°  east  long.,  and  between 
the  equator  and  the  tropic  of  Capricorn,  and,  together  with  Australia  and 
New  Guinea,  on  account  of  the  dark  skin  of  the  inhabitants,  received  from 
the  French  the  name  of  Melanesia." — Island  Mission,  page  1,  reprinted 
from  Mission  Life. 


MB.  NOBBS'S  JOURNAL.  271 

third,  the  other  classes  were  attended  by  their  usual  teach- 
ers. The  classes  gave  entire  satisfaction.  In  the  evening 
many  of  our  people  went  to  listen  to  the  bishop's  very  in- 
structive conversation. 

"Monday,  1th. — Fine  weather.  The  bishop  and  myself 
went  through  the  prisons  and  other  departments  of  the 
convict  establishment,  but  no  sound  was  there  of  good  or 
evil.  They  were  merely  dreadful  mementos  of  the  past. 
Still  it  was  harrowing  to  pass  through  the  barriers  of 
wood  and  stone,  and  to  be  continually  stepping  on  bolts 
and  shackles,  and  using  much  strength  to  swing  on  their 
hinges  the  ponderous  doors  of  cells  and  dungeons,  which 
when  closed  were  impervious  to  the  light  of  day;  and  it 
seemed  to  me  that  even  the  very  air  was  forbidden  to  en- 
ter, except  in  very  insufficient  quantities.  Oh,  these  were 
irrefragable  proofs  of  the  depravity  of  the  nature  of  man 
— that  being  whom  God  made  upright,  but  whose  rebel- 
lious perverseness  brought  upon  himself  tribulation  and 
wrath  to  the  uttermost ! 

"  In  the  evening  the  bishop  held  a  public  meeting,  in 
which  the  interests  of  the  community,  temporal  and  spirit- 
ual, were  discussed ;  his  lordship  also  appealed  to  our  sym- 
pathies in  regard  to  the  heathen,  especially  those  among 
the  islands  he  is  now  about  to  visit.  A  proposal  was  also 
made  by  him  that  we  should  receive  a  few  children  from 
these  islands  into  our  families,  and  teach  them  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Christian  religion  and  industrious  habits,  so 
that  in  a  few  years  they  might  return  to  their  native  land 
and  instruct  others.  I  see  no  objection  to  our  receiving  a 
few  children  among  us  to  be  civilized,  as  far  as  civilization 
has  obtained  here.  I  have  consented  to  have  one  child 
under  my  roof,  and  will  do  all  I  can  for  its  welfare,  by 
God's  help. 

"Tuesday,  Sth. — Weather  very  line.  By  request  the 
bishop  performed  divine  service,  and  then  prepared  to  take 
his  departure.  Mrs.  Selwyn,  not  enjoying  good  health,  is 
to  remain  with  us  until  the  bishop's  return,  and  I  am  glad 
Mrs.  Selwyn  is  going  to  stay  among  us  for  a  time ;  her  in- 


272  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

struction  and  example  will  be  of  much  use  to  our  girls. 
Jemima  Young  and  my  daughter  Jane  will  reside  with 
her.  After  dinner,  went  over  to  the  Cascades  with  the 
bishop;  the  boat  from  the  vessel  was  in  waiting.  The 
bishop  told  the  two  seamen  to  come  on  shore  and  look 
about  them  for  an  hour,  and  he  himself  and  one  of  our  peo- 
ple took  the  oars  to  pull  on  board.  Of  course,  the  bishop 
was  not  permitted  to  retain  his  place  at  the  oar,  one  of 
our  lads  relieving  him ;  but  I  am  told  that  he  frequently 
pulls  an  oar  in  his  boating  expeditions  among  the  island- 
ers— swims  through  a  heavy  surf — travels  sometimes  bare- 
foot and  without  attendants,  among  the  untamed  natives, 
who  view  with  astonishment  and  respect  his  fearless  but 
conciliatory  deportment.  Towards  evening  the  Southern 
Cross'  pursued  her  errand  of  mercy.  May  the  apostolic 
labors  of  the  good  bishop  be  crowned  with  success  ! 

"  We  find  that  fires  in  the  dwelling-houses  are  quite 
necessary,  but  fire-wood  must  be  brought  from  a  long  dis- 
tance. At  present,  we  use  the  decayed  portions  offences, 
but  we  shall  soon  have  to  go  farther  afield.  Mrs.  Selwyn 
and  myself  are  much  engaged  in  preparing  the  people  for 
the  rite  of  confirmation,  which  the  bishop  intends  to  con- 
fer on  his  return.  The  school  is  kept  as  it  was  on  Pitcairn 
Island.  Francis  Nobbs  is  the  school-master,  and  I  attend 
four  hours  every  day.  Mrs.  Selwyn  also  comes  daily  to 
instruct  the  elder  girls  of  the  school  in  grammar,  geog- 
raphy, etc.  She  is  most  diligent  and  condescending.  It 
will  be  a  public  loss  when  she  leaves  us. 

"August  19th. — Cloudy  weather.  Killed  a  bull  yester- 
day, which  was  served  out  to  the  families  in  proportion  to 
their  size.  The  farmers  are  employed  in  breaking  up 
ground  with  the  plough  for  planting  maize ;  the  dairymen 
have  received  orders  to  keep  all  the  milk — except  a  small 
quantity  for  the  use  of  the  sick  and  infants — for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  butter.  This  will  be  a  great  privation,  as 
the  children  will  drink  tea  without  sugar,  if  they  have 
milk  to  mix  with  the  tea.  The  biscuit  being  very  inferi- 
or, and  the  allowance  small,  we  need  some  milk  to  make  it 


LETTEU  FROM  Mm.  NOBBS.  2*73 

spin  oat.  It  is  better  to  go  without  butter  than  without 
milk,  and  I  shall  request  the  magistrate  to  rescind  the  or- 
der— at  any  rate,  as  far  as  my  own  family  is  concerned, 
and  any  others  who  are  of  the  same  way  of  thinking. 
Many  of  the  community  are  looking  back  to  their  Pit- 
cairn,  I  should  fear,  with  regret.  My  wife  dreams  of  it 
every  night." 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  written  by  Mrs. 
Nobbs  gives  her  impressions  of  their  new  home  : 

"Norfolk  Island,  September,  1856. 

"After  a  passage  of  five  weeks  we  arrived  here,  and 
landed  on  Sunday,  June  8th,  amidst  squalls  of  rain,  which 
thoroughly  drenched  us ;  but  Captain  Denham,  who  was 
here,  had  fires  prepared  and  tea  ready  for  us,  so  that  we 
soon  got  as  comfortable  as  we  could  possibly  be,  in  to  us 
such  a  bewildering  place.  Every  thing  was  so  strange; 
the  immense  houses,  the  herds  of  cattle  grazing,  and  in  the 
distance  the  gigantic  Norfolk  pines,  filled  us  for  the  mo- 
ment with  amazement.  I  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Steward 
to  the  Government-house,  and  seated  by  a  good  fire  in  the 
drawing-room  (I  have  learned  that  name  since),  which  was 
the  first  fire  I  had  ever  seen  in  a  dwelling-house,  and  an 
excellent  addition  to  my  previous  ideas  of  domestic  com- 
fort. 

"  The  island  is  not  to  be  compared  for  fertility  with  the 
one  we  have  left,  but  being  much  larger  there  is  more 
room  for  our  children  to  branch  out  upon ;  but  I  think 
there  are  few  would  not  return  (and  I  one  of  the  number) 
if  an  opportunity  offered.  My  husband  is  much  annoyed 
at  these  expressions  of  our  feelings,  and  declares  that  he 
will  never  leave  Norfolk  Island.  He  is  positive  that  the 
land  is  a  good  land,  and  that  before  twelve  months  we 
shall  be  of  his  opinion.  Well,  I  hope  this  may  be  the  case, 
but,  bad  or  good,  so  long  as  he  makes  it  his  home  of  course 
it  will  be  mine,  and  seeing  him  so  contented  and  confi- 
dent, has  for  certain  a  good  effect  upon  us  all 

"The  place  is  not  nearly  so  well  wooded  and  watered 

12* 


274  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

as  we  thought  to  have  found  it;  and  to  a  community  like 
this,  who,  although  at  Pitcairn  they  were  sometimes  strait- 
ened in  the  staple  articles  of  food,  had  generally  something 
of  an  inferior  kind  to  fall  back  upon,  the  prospect  that  in 
two  months  from  this  they  will  be  without  bread,  flour,  or 
any  one  thing  that  will  answer  for  a  substitute,  is  not  very 
encouraging.  The  island,  for  spontaneous  fertility,  is  not 
to  be  compared  with  the  spot  we  have  left,  but  yet  I  am 
sure  the  land  is  a  good  land,  and  will  provide  all  we  need 
when  we  get  the  means  of  planting." 

This  next  extract  is  from  a  letter  written  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Patteson,  chaplain  to  Bishop  Selwyn,  to  his  sister,  re- 
lating their  arrival  at  the  island : 

"Mr.  Nobbs's  House,  Norfolk  Island,  July  5th,  1856. 

"  I  know  you  will  feel  interested  in  receiving  a  note 
written  from  among  the  Pitcairners  in  Norfolk  Island. 
Yesterday  we  sailed  up  to  the  island,  saw  no  signs  of 
people  being  on  it,  and  thought  they  were  not  yet  come; 
but  at  4  p.m.  a  boat  came  off  through  the  swell,  manned 
by  six  men.  As  they  neared  us  we  saw  they  were  not 
English  —  too  dark-colored.  They  came  up,  jumped  on 
deck,  and  we  shook  hands  heartily.  Familiar  names — 
John  Quintal,  Frederick  Young,  John  Nobbs  (son  of  the 
clergyman),  etc. 

"  The  bishop  and  Mrs.  Selwyn,  intending  to  come  ashore 
to-day,  sent  me  off  with  them.  I  landed  at  4  30 — the  Pit- 
cairners working  their  boat  through  the  surf  admirably. 
Met  Mr.  Nobbs  and  family,  and  plenty  of  men  and  wom- 
en— thirty  families,  sixty  married  people,  and  one  hundred 
and  thirty-four  children  and  young  men  and  women  in  all. 
I  had  tea  at  Mr.  Nobbs's  house,  and  afterwards  asked  to 
hear  some  of  the  young  people  sing,  which  they  did  beau- 
tifully, in  parts;  about  twenty-four  came  to  his  house, 
and  sang,  for  two  hours  and  a  half,  psalms,  hymns,  and 
ended  with  '  God  save  the  Queen,'  admirably  sung.  The 
simple,  modest,  and  manly  behavior,  the  gentle  look  of 
all,  men  and  women,  every  thing  about  them,  quite  con- 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  PATTESON.  277 

firms  all  that  I  had  read.  I  enjoyed  the  evening  exceed- 
ingly. 

"The  settlement  at  the  south-east  corner  of  Norfolk 
Island  contains  eighteen  or  twenty  houses  of  brick,  with 
verandahs,  nice  gardens  and  paddocks,  and  plenty  of  good 
grass  for  cows  and  sheep ;  there  is,  besides,  a  large  build- 
ing, formerly  the  barracks.  The  men  are  darker  than 
Italians,  as  dark  as  some  of  the  lighter-colored  Maories 
occasionally,  but  no  shade  of  black — it  is  more  of  the 
bright  copper  color.  The  women  are  scarcely  distinguish- 
able from  English  women,  and  most  of  the  young  women 
are  nice-looking.  They  seem  to  marry  early — about 
twenty  years  of  age  for  the  men,  and  eighteen  for  the 
women — and  there  are  but  eight  or  nine  surnames  in  the 
island.  They  seem  a  fine  healthy  race  of  people  in  all 
respects.  The  men  wear  shirts,  serge  jerseys,  and  a  sailor 
costume  in  general,  many  without  shoes  or  socks ;  the 
w^omen  are  chiefly  dressed  in  loose  kind  of  robes,  all  mod- 
est and  quiet,  but  without  any  appearance  of  fear — just 
the  kind  of  simple  easy  manners  you  would  expect.  The 
village  is  very  pretty,  but  they  find  it  cold  after  Pitcairn's 
Isle.  Norfolk  Island  pines,  geraniums,  other  flowers,  and 
semi-tropical  plants  grow  around  the  houses,  and  behind 
them  the  ground  ascends  sharply  to  a  height  of  about  one 
hundred  feet,  the  whole  island  undulating  ground,  and  full 
of  valleys,  gulleys,  etc.  Mr.  Nobbs  gave  me  two  nails 
made  by  the  Pitcairners  out  of  an  iron  bolt  from  the 
Bounty.  I  gave  them  an  eighty -pound  chest  of  tea, 
which  cost  only  ninety  shillings  in  Sydney,  and  the  best 
tea  procurable  there. 

"  They  all  have  the  dress  of  poor  people,  with  the  feel- 
ings of  those  gentle-born  and  nurtured.  Two  of  John 
Adams's  daughters,  the  oldest  people  on  the  island,  are 
really  magnificent  women,  like  queens — old  Hannah  with 
long  black  hair  flowing  almost  to  her  waist,  though  sixty- 
five  years  old.  John  Adams  gave  me  a  hymn  for  Good- 
Friday,  composed  and  written  by  his  grandfather,  John 
Adams,  the  mutineer ;  an  interesting  relic." 


278  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Mrs.  Selwyn  remained  in  the  island  while  the  bishop 
and  his  chaplain  pursued  their  missionary  labors.  She 
makes  the  following  interesting  observations  with  regard 
to  the  people  among  whom  she  sojourned: 

"It  was  settled  the  next  day — upon  the  people  second- 
ing the  proposal  that  I  should  remain  with  a  warm  invi- 
tation—  that  I  was  to  be  left,  while  the  Southern  Cross 
goes  on  to  Melanesia  into  the  hot  latitudes.  A  special 
object  was  the  preparation  of  the  young  people  under 
Mr.  Nobbs's  direction  for  confirmation,  besides  the  daily 
school,  which  was  soon  to  be  recommenced.  Other  ways 
of  usefulness  were  before  any  one  who  should  be  compe- 
tent to  put  the  women  in  the  way  of  using  all  their  nov- 
elties, and  to  bring  them  on  in  orderly  household  ways, 
which  tell  so  much  upon  the  character  of  a  community. 
A  methodical  housewife,  learned  in  all  matters  of  domes- 
tic economy,  would  be  invaluable  to  the  women  at  this 
fresh  start,  but  I  hardly  felt  equal  to  the  occasion.  How- 
ever, so  it  was  to  be,  and  the  Southern  Cross  was  to  sail 
upon  the  morrow.  The  bishop  walked  over  the  island 
then,  with  some  others,  but  all  in  seven-leagued  boots, 
which  prevented  my  joining  them,  and  admiring  with 
them  the  pretty  little  island,  with  its  wonderful  vegeta- 
tion. There  is  no  great  variety  of  wood ;  the  pine  is  uni- 
versal, and  rather  wearisome  when  unmixed  with  other 
trees.  Lemons  also  are  in  abundance,  and  in  the  valleys 
the  tree-fern  adds  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  scenery."* 

"  When  the  Pitcairners  first  came  to  Norfolk  Island 
they  were  received  by  a  select  body  of  the  former  staff, 
who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  property,  and  partly 
to  instruct  the  new-comers  in  the  use  of  it.  A  flock  of 
sheep,  a  herd  of  cattle,  ploughs,  teams,  and  carts  were 
made  over  to  them  accordingly.  Each  selected  his  pur- 
suit. Some  took  to  the  sheep,  some  to  butchering,  some 
to  farming,  some  to  the  dairy.      Gardening  was  not  in- 

*  "Island  Mission,"  p.  100.     Extract  from  the  "Melanesian  Mission." 


'LETTER  FROM  MRS.  iSELWYN.  279 

eluded,  and  as  they  do  not  seem  to  have  notions  them- 
selves beyond  a  yam  plantation  or  a  potato  ground  (how 
should  they?),  the  gardens,  formerly  the  glory  of  this 
island,  began  to  look  most  deplorable.  As  yet,  however, 
they  hardly  look  at  home  in  their  new  abodes,  and  per- 
haps, being  an  out-of-door  generation,  and  not  very  sensi- 
tive about  appearances,  they  never  will.  The  houses  are 
detached, nearly  all  of  stone;  the  vestibule  opens  into  four 
dark  and  nearly  empty  rooms,  whose  chief  furniture  is 
neat  beds  covered  with  tappa,  and  the  store  of  children 
who  sleep  in  the  same.  Every  one,  young  and  old,  gives 
you  a  peculiarly  pleasant  greeting  if  he  meets  you,  and 
the  heartiest  welcome  into  the  house.  Towards  evening 
the  preparation  for  the  great  evening  meal  is  going  on — 
a  serious  affair,  for  they  have  but  two  in  the  day,  and  at 
this  more  beef  is  consumed  than  a  laboring  man  in  Dev- 
onshire sees  in  his  house  from  year's  end  to  year's  end. 
Still,  the  elderly  people  are  to  be  pitied  a  little  in  the 
change  they  have  made — the  women  especially;  they 
miss  their  almost  tropical  sun,  they  long  for  yams,  and  do 
not  like  beef;  moreover,  they  can  not  hear  one  another  in 
the  lofty  rooms,  and  they  miss  the  concentration  of  their 
society  which  they  enjoyed  at  Pitcairn.  There  are  only 
eight  surnames  among  them  —  five  of  the  Bounty  stock 
and  three  new-comers.  The  whole  of  the  original  set  of 
course  are  dead,  but  eight  of  the  second  generation  re- 
main, and  more  than  one  hundred  and  ninety  souls  besides. 
"  There  are  about  forty-four  children  at  the  school,  and 
a  considerable  fry  at  home,  too  young  to  come.  The  no- 
menclature gradually  increases  in  splendor  from  the  Dol- 
lys and  Dinahs  of  early  days  up  to  the  Lorenzos  and  Alfon- 
zos,  Evangelines  and  Victorias  of  the  present  time.  But 
truly,  while  the  Quintals  and  Christians  are  so  numerous, 
it  is  well  to  have  a  distinguishing  pendant  in  the  first 
name,  and  from  their  numerous  intermarriages  they  all 
seem  to  be  in  a  state  of  relationship  which  it  is  beyond  a 
stranger  to  disentangle.  The  families  are  so  large  that 
they  may  soon  outgrow  this  island  also,  and  if  they  con- 


280  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

tinue  to  carry  on  their  former  plan  of  subdividing  proper- 
ty among  all,  the  portions  will  soon  be  no  bigger  than  a 
pinch  of  snuff  apiece. 

"  It  is  observable  that  no  one,  to  prove  perhaps  their 
Tahitian  descent,  pronounces  the  letter  '  s '  at  the  end  of 
a  word  if  it  can  be  avoided  ;  but  this  is  balanced  by  a  vig- 
orous demonstration  of  their  English  in  their  saying  '  mis- 
chievious'  and  'substract'  as  naturally  and  pleasantly  as 
any  children  at  a  national  school.  No  children  can  be 
more  pleasing  than  these,  in  that  they  often  have  but  one 
garment,  and  are  barefoot,  and  sit  upon  their  heels.  They 
so  often  remind  me  of  the  Maories,  that  it  is  a  continual 
surprise  to  find  them  so  ready  to  answer  and  so  respectful. 
But  then  they  have  advantages  unknown  to  our  poor  lit- 
tle natives ;  for  they  are  trained  to  be  obedient,  and  are 
corrected  when  they  do  wrong,  and  are  kept  in  subjection 
to  their  elders.  They  are  chiefly  pale,  dark-eyed  little 
mortals,  though  some  have  more  of  the  English  type  about 
them.  The  women  wear  generally  a  dark-colored  petti- 
coat, and  on  that  a  short  loose  frock  gathered  into  a  band 
round  the  throat,  and  usually  white;  their  glossy  hair  is 
always  neat,  braided  in  front,  and  made  up  into  a  peculiar 
knot  of  their  own  invention  behind.  On  Sundays  several 
nice  gowns  are  to  be  seen,  and  a  small  sprinkling  of  bon- 
nets. They  looked  so  much  nicer  without  any  thing,  or 
with  the  white  handkerchief  they  otherwise  wear,  that 
as  the  fashionable  world  seems  to  be  fast  learning  to  do 
without  bonnets,  it  is  a  pity  that  the  Pitcairners  should 
now  take  to  them  to  their  own  disadvantage." 

Bishop  Selwyn  shortly  afterwards  returned  to  the  isl- 
and, and  held  a  confirmation.  The  following  extracts 
from  the  diary  of  Mr.  Nobbs  relate  this  important  event 
in  the  religious  history  of  the  Pitcairners  : 

"Thursday,  September  4th,  1856. — At  3  p.m.  a  sail  was 
announced  off  the  Cascades.  Towards  evening  she  was 
ascertained  to  be  a  schooner.  No  doubt  the  vera  South- 
ern Cross. 


■     MM.  NOBBS'JS  JOURNAL.  281 

"  Friday,  5th.  —  The  schooner  off  the  settlement,  with 
the  flag  of  peace  flying  at  the  main.  One  of  our  canoes 
went  on  board.  It  being  somewhat  rough,  the  schooner 
went  round  to  the  Cascades,  where  the  bishop  landed. 

"Saturday,  6th. — Weather  calm  and  clear.  Arranged 
the  community  in  classes,  preparatory  to  the  bishop's  ex- 
amining them,  which  he  is  busily  engaged  upon. 

"Sunday,  1th. — This  has  been  a  red-letter  day,  and  may, 
I  think,  be  justly  termed  a  high  day,  in  which  the  Chris- 
tian Passover,  and  confirmatory  admission  into  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  have  been  observed  with  a  sincerity  of  pur- 
pose and  a  degree  of  devotional  feeling  similar  to  that  of 
the  Israelite  of  old,  when  he  came  before  the  Lord  to  per- 
form the  vital  and  significant  obligation  which  the  God  of 
his  fathers  had  commanded  him.  There  was,  however,  the 
vast  difference  between  the  divinely  appointed  and  pro- 
spective ceremonies  and  our  equally  divine  and  completed 
institution.  Theirs  were  the  shadow  of  good  things  to 
come,  ours  are  the  invigorating  memories  of  Him  to  whom 
all  the  prophets  bore  witness — the  Lamb  of  God  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world. 

"All  yesterday  and  the  previous  evening  the  bishop  had 
been  engaged  in  the  examination  of  the  catechumens, 
formed  into  nine  classes;  and  finding  them  competent  to 
the  wise  and  consistent  requirements  of  the  Church,  his 
lordship  determined  to  perform  the  scriptural  rite  of  con- 
firmation this  afternoon.  The  morning  service  commenced 
at  the  usual  time,  myself  officiating.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  second  lesson  the  bishop  administered  the  Sacra- 
ment of  Baptism  to  the  infant  child  of  John  Adams  the 
second.  What  would  have  been  the  feelings  of  John 
Adams  the  first,  could  he  have  seen  this  day  ! 

"The  sermon  concluded, the  holy  eucharist  (it  being  the 
first  Sunday  in  the  month)  was  administered  to  sixty  com- 
municants, the  bishop  presenting  the  bread,  myself  the 
wine.  After  the  departure  of  the  congregation,  the  bishop, 
Mr.  Patteson,  and  myself,  with  old  Arthur  Quintal,  were 
for  some  time  employed  in  placing  stools  in  front  of  the 


282  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

chancel,  for  the  accommodation  of  those  about  to  be  con- 
firmed. At  half  past  three  the  afternoon  service  com- 
menced. The  candidates  were  first  called  by  name,  and 
arranged  on  the  before-mentioned  stools,  the  women  on 
the  right  hand  range  or  tier,  the  men  on  the  left.  It  was, 
in  truth,  not  only  an  impressive  but  pleasing  scene.  The 
men  were  arranged  in  good  black  or  blue  coats,  with 
white  pantaloons,  and  shoes  and  stockings.  The  women 
wore  loose  white  frocks  or  tunics,  and  instead  of  bonnets, 
which  many  do  wear  on  a  Sunday,  was  substituted  a  snowy 
white  handkerchief  doubled  triangularly,  without  any  at- 
tempt at  adornment,  simply  placed  on  the  head,  and  tied 
with  a  half  knot  under  the  chin.  The  costume  associated 
well  with  the  occasion,  and  the  subdued  demeanor  of  the 
whole  congregation  was  in  excellent  keeping  with  the  so- 
ber light  from  the  church  windows,  that  by  a  process  of 
some  sort  had  been  formerly  rendered  semi-opaque,  in  or- 
der that  certain  classes  of  the  convict  congregations  might 
not,  by  signs  or  otherwise,  correspond  with  their  partners 
in  iniquity,  who  were  under  solitary  discipline  in  the  ad- 
joining prison-yard.  Well,  I  repeat  it  was  a  most  inter- 
esting sight,  and  one  which  I  had  often  desired,  but  never 
expected,  to  see  fulfilled.  The  women,  arranged  in  rows 
in  their  white  habiliments,  looked  like  nuns,  but  I  was  well 
aware  that  went  no  farther  than  the  outward  appearance ; 
they  were  also  as  barefooted  as  Carmelites,  not  from  any 
superstitious  penchant,  but  merely  because  they  had  no 
shoes.  Every  thing  being  placed  in  order  by  the  good 
bishop,  the  evening  service  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pat- 
teson.  After  another  excellent  sermon  by  his  lordship, 
illustrating  the  duties  of  Christian  professors,  the  confirma- 
tion began  by  ten  persons  standing  up  in  parallel  rows  of 
five  each,  without  stepping  from  the  place  where  they  had 
been  seated,  when,  having  listened  attentively  to  the  pref- 
ace and  questions  put  by  the  bishop,  they,  with  becoming 
earnestness,  severally  answered,  '  I  do.'  By  a  motion  of 
the  bishop's  hand  they  resumed  their  seats,  and  ten  others 
rose,  and  so  on  in  like  order  until  all  had  been  questioned 


ME.  NO  BBS'S  JOURNAL.  283 

and  responded.  They  then  in  similar  order  came  up  to  the 
front  of  the  altar,  and,  kneeling,  received  the  imposition 
of  hands.  I  am  sure  it  would  have  gratified  our  many- 
friends  could  they  have  been  present,  and  seen  parents 
kneeling  by  the  side  of  their  children.  Many  of  these 
were  also  parents,  and  in  one  instance  a  great-grandmother 
was  accompanied  by  grand-daughters,  three  of  whom  had 
families  of  their  own  ;  the  fourth  was  unmarried,  it  having 
pleased  God  to  summon  hence  the  young  man  to  whom 
she  had  been  affianced.  Yes,  I  am  sure  our  Christian 
friends  would  have  experienced  unmitigated  pleasure  to 
have  seen  the  aged  and  the  young  renewing  and  ratifying 
their  Christian  obligations  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  from 
whom  cometh  our  help.  Before  the  conclusion  it  became 
nearly  dark  in  the  church,  and  the  bishop  was  obliged  to 
repair  to  the  outer  door  in  order  to  distinguish  the  names 
of  the  persons  on  the  certificates  of  confirmation.  The 
bishop  himself  delivered  them,  first  taking  each  person  by 
the  hand,  and,  using  the  Christian  name  of  each,  asked 
God's  blessing  on  them;  and  then  the  members  of  the 
various  families  returned  to  their  respective  homes  well 
pleased  and  edified." 


284  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Correspondence  of  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  with  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby, 
K.C.B.,  relative  to  Norfolk  Island  and  the  Whale-fishery. — Visit  of 
His  Excellency  Sir  William  Denison. — His  Opinion  of  the  Pitcairn 
People. — Directions  relative  to  Live-stock,  and  the  Cultivation  of  Land. 
— Letter  from  Jane  Nobbs. — Visit  of  Sir  John  Young. — Bishop  Patte- 
son  attacked  by  the  Natives  of  Santa  Cruz. — Massacre  of  Fisher  Young 
and  Edwin  Nobbs. 

We  must  make  some  observations  previous  to  inserting 
a  letter  from  Mr.  Nobbs,  at  the  date  of  which  the  Pitcairn 
Islanders  had  been  located  one  year  and  a  half  on  Norfolk 
Island. 

Although  the  pastor  and  his  family  appreciated,  on  the 
whole,  the  advantages  they  enjoyed  by  the  change,  others 
felt  differently,  and  especially  two  families  of  the  name  of 
Young.  They  were  probably  more  delicate  in  constitu- 
tion than  the  rest  of  their  friends  and  relatives ;  the  cli- 
mate did  not  suit  them,  and  the  new  system  of  diet  was 
prejudicial  to  their  health.  They  missed  bread-fruit  and 
cocoa-nuts,  the  milk  of  which  was  essential  for  their  chil- 
dren as  well  as  themselves.  The  unaccustomed  labor  of 
keeping  roads  and  large  houses  in  order  was  to  them  in- 
tolerable. They  drooped  in  spirits,  and  their  strength  de- 
clined ;  in  fact,  they  pined  for  their  native  island. 

Though  Mr.  Nobbs  and  his  family  were  determined  to 
be  contented  in  their  new  state  of  life,  he  could  not  prevail 
on  the  two  families  which  we  have  mentioned  to  take  the 
same  view  of  their  position,  and  therefore  commences  the 
following  letter  with  some  asperity : 


MR.  NO  BBS  TO  ADMIRAL  MORESBY.  285 

To  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,*  K.C.B.,  and  Lady 
Moresby. 

"Norfolk  Island,  January  1st,  1858. 
"Some  simpletons  are  meditating  a  return  to  Pitcairn. 
It  must  be  admitted  that  Norfolk  Island  does  not,  accord- 
ing to  our  experience,  deserve  the  unqualified  encomiums 
so  lavishly  bestowed  upon  it  by  transient  visitors  or  unre- 
flecting officials,  who,  surveying  the  trim  grass-plots  be- 
fore each  house,  occasionally  by  permission  taking  a  stroll 
in  the  two  Government  gardens,  and  drawing  their  ra- 
tions from  an  imported  commissariat,  would  be  likely  to 
overlook  the  immense  labor  by  which  the  lawns  and  gar- 
dens were  kept  in  existence  during  the  summer  months ; 
and,  moreover,  that  three  crops  out  of  every  five  of  Indian 
corn  fail  from  insects  and  drought,  although  attended  by  al- 
most as  many  men  as  there  are  acres  planted.  This,  then, 
is  the  true  statement  of  the  case.  Norfolk  Island  is  most 
fertile  when  irrigated,  but  from  the  paucity  of  running 
water  and  the  infrequency  of  rain  many  promising 'crops 
become  abortive.  Nevertheless  it  is  quite  possible  to  live 
here  very  comfortably,  and  I  and  my  married  children 
have  let  go  our  best  bowers  with  a  long  scope,  and  having 
plenty  of  room  to  swing  clear  of  our  neighbor's  buoys,  are 
busily  employed  in  making  ourselves  at  home.  The  pros- 
pect is  vastly  better  than  at  Pitcairn,  but  even  were  it 
not  so,  a  principle  of  gratitude  would  retain  me  and  mine. 
My  son  Francis  and  some  of  the  more  intelligent  of  the 
community  are  employed  in  laying  out  the  lands  into  fifty- 
acre  lots,  agreeably  to  the  directions  of  Sir  William  Deni- 
son,  who  is  very  much  interested  in  our  welfare,  and  is,  I 
believe,  going  to  send  a  surveyor  to  inspect  the  divisions 
and  confirm  the  allotments  (one  to  each  family)  in  fee 
simple.  The  unappropriated  portion  of  the  island  is  to  be 
specially  reserved  for  the  rising  generation  ;  and  a  rapidly 
rising  one  it  is,  for  there  is  an  increase  of  fifteen  during  the 
past  year." 

*  Since  created  Admiral  of  the  Fleet. 


286  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Extract  from  another  letter  of  Mr.  Nobbs's,  dated  No- 
vember  1st,  1858,  giving  an  account  of  the  whale-fishing, 
and  also  of  the  drought  to  which  Norfolk  Island  is  subject : 

"  Some  of  the  seeds  you  so  kindly  sent  me  I  planted 
during  the  winter  season,  and  they  are  growing  very 
well ;  the  Savoys  are  superb,  and  the  Brussels  sprouts 
are  excellent.  The  sea-kale  and  the  asparagus  have  not 
thriven  so  well.  The  other  seeds  I  have  reserved  for 
planting  as  soon  as  I  obtain  my  allotment.  I  want  them 
to  remain  permanently  where  I  place  them,  as  I  am  not 
sure  they  will  bear  transplanting.  When  I  enter  upon 
my  possession  I  am  going  to  take  the  liberty  of  calling  it 
Killerton,  and  by  that  name  shall  have  it  inserted  in  the 
map  of  the  island,  and  by  that  name  bequeath  it  to  my 
children.  Our  people  are  now  busily  engaged  in  killing 
hump-back  whales,  and  have  succeeded  in  securing  one 
hundred  and  twenty  barrels  of  oil ;  but  it  is  somewhat 
dangerous  work.  Whether  it  will  be  remunerative  re- 
mains to  be  shown.  If  they  can  by  some  such  course  of 
industry  procure  the  means  to  purchase  flour  or  biscuits 
for  half  the  year  we  shall  do  very  well.  For  though  our 
agricultural  pursuits  are  not  all  neglected,  the  long-con- 
tinued droughts  of  summer  are  a  sad  drawback  upon  our 
crops.  At  this  present  moment  the  Indian  corn,  sweet- 
potatoes,  and  whatever  else  we  have  in  the  ground,  is  suf- 
fering from  drought,  and  if  rain  does  not  fall  soon  we  shall 
lose  the  whole  crop ;  even  now  we  are  on  short  allowance 
of  vegetable  food,  and  were  it  not  for  some  flour  and  bis- 
cuit the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand  purchased,  with  the  pro- 
ceeds of  a  quantity  of  young  pine-trees  which  he  kindly 
took  thither  for  us,  we  should  be  in  poor  case  as  to  the  re- 
sult of  our  own  exertions.  But  our  covenant  God,  who  is 
ever  a  very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble,  will  be  our 
refuge  and  strength  ;  therefore  we  will  not  fear." 

November  of  the  same  year,  1858,  two  families  of  the 
name  of  Young  returned  to  Pitcairn  in  a  trading-vessel 


SIB   WILLIAM  DENNIS  ON  TO  ADMIRAL  MORESBY.    289 

which  they  hired  for  that  purpose.     In  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Nobbs,  dated  March  25th,  1859,  he  says : 

"At  present  there  is  no  prospect  of  any  others  return- 
ing. But  I  believe  if  the  next  whaling-season  be  success- 
ful several  families  will  engage  some  small  craft  or  other 
to  convey  them  to  Pitcairn.  I  and  mine  will  remain,  if  it 
pleases  God,  and  do  all  I  can  to  induce  others  to  follow 
my  example.  So  well  are  my  determinations  known,  that 
no  one  can  speak  to  me  about  going  back,  and  I  am  glad 
to  say  a  few  families  are  encouraged  in  their  desire  to  re- 
main from  the  decided  step  I  have  taken. 

"  The  land  is  a  goodly  land,  and  needs  nothing  but  a 
contented  mind,  a  persevering  spirit,  and  a  grateful  heart, 
to  render  it  productive  and  pleasant." 

The  next  communication  is  from  His  Excellency  Sir 
William  Denison,  Governor-general  of  New  South  Wales, 
in  which  jurisdiction  Norfolk  Island  is  included.  It  was 
written  on  his  voyage  back  to  Sydney,  and  in  it  he  relates 
the  settlement  on  the  island  of  a  school-master ;  describes 
the  profits  of  the  whale-fishery ;  and  deems  it  indispensa- 
ble that  the  funds  arising  from  this  and  other  sources 
should  be  placed  in  more  competent  hands  than  those  of 
the  magistrate,  who  was  too  liable  to  be  imposed  on  by 
the  traders  who  touched  at  the  island. 

"H.M.S.  Cordelia,  July  7th,  1859. 

"  My  dear  Admiral, — I  told  you  in  my  last  letter  what 
I  was  about  to  do  with  the  men  sent  out  to  me  for  Nor- 
folk Island.  I  must  now  give  you  some  account  of  the 
state  of  the  island  itself,  from  which  I  am  now  returning. 

"  I  embarked  onboard  the  Cordelia  on  the  16th  of  June, 
and  had  a  rough  passage  of  eight  days  to  the  island.  I 
had  dispatched  a  schooner  with  the  new  settlers  on  the 
13th,  and  found  that  they  had  arrived  but  one  day  be- 
fore me.  They  had  been  kindly  welcomed  by  the  people, 
most  of  whom  were  busily  engaged  in  shipping  their  oil 

13 


290  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

on  board  the  schooner  which  I  had  chartered.  I  found 
that  the  great  proportion  of  the  people  were  well  satisfied 
with  their  position  and  prospects.  Thirty-three  of  the 
men  had  associated  themselves,  and  by  clubbing  their 
means  had  purchased  two  boats  and  whaling  gear  from  an 
American  whaler.  They  had  then  gone  energetically  into 
the  business  of  bay  whaling,  and  had  killed  whales  enough 
to  furnish  fourteen  tons  of  oil,  which  at  present  prices  may 
be  worth  nearly  five  hundred  pounds.  This  success  has 
given  them  a  stimulus,  and  they  have  now  four  boats  and 
the  necessary  gear ;  are  looking  anxiously  for  the  approach 
of  the  whales,  and  expect  to  reap  a  good  harvest  from 
them  this  year.  I  have  warned  them  that  they  must  not 
expect  to  be  so  successful  hereafter,  for  that  the  whales 
will,  as  is  the  case  on  the  coast  of  Australia  and  Van  Die- 
men's  Land,  desert  a  spot  where  they  are  constantly 
chased ;  but  I  am  very  glad  that  they  have  been  stimu- 
lated to  active  exertion,  for  the  energy  which  takes  them 
after  the  whales  will,  when  these  are  gone,  find  some  field 
for  its  exertion  on  the  island  itself.  Some  have  already 
commenced  to  manufacture  drip-stones,  which  sell  well  in 
the  adjacent  colonies;  some  have  commenced  the  manu- 
facture of  soap  ;  others  are  looking  forward  to  a  profitable 
trade  with  New  Zealand  in  oranges  and  lemons ;  in  fact, 
as  regards  the  men,  I  am  satisfied  with  their  progress.  I 
wish  I  could  say  the  same  with  regard  to  the  women; 
they,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  do  not  appear  to  me 
nearly  so  civilized  as  the  men.  They  approach  nearer  the 
Tahitian  type ;  and,  as  we  must  look  to  the  women  to  give 
the  first  tone  to  the  children,  I  should  wish  to  see  a  great 
improvement  in  manner,  appearance,  and  information.  I 
trust,  however,  that  Mr.  Rossiter's  presence  will  do  a  great 
deal  for  them.  Hitherto  the  school  has  been  but  a  trifling 
advantage,  but  now  that  Mr.  Rossiter  has  taken  it  in  hand 
I  have  a  right  to  expect  a  great  change  for  the  better.  I 
have  arranged  with  him  to  take  three  pupil  teachers,  to 
whom  he  is  to  give  an  extra  hour's  instruction  daily.  He 
is  to  make  the  school  to  a  certain  extent  industrial,  to  give 


THE  PITCAIRNEBS  ON  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  291 

the  children  a  garden  as  a  reward  for  industry,  and  to  be- 
stow prizes,  not  for  the  purpose  of  exciting  emulation  but 
as  a  reward  to  all  who  do  their  work  well.  The  pupil- 
teachers  at  the  end  of  four  years  will,  if  they  behave  well, 
have  some  useful  gift  made  to  them,  such  as  a  cow  or  calf. 
The  girls  will  have  instruction  in  needle-work,  etc.,  as  I 
propose  to  pay  out  of  the  school  fees  the  salary  of  a  school- 
mistress, who  will  attend  in  the  afternoon  for  a  couple  of 
hours,  and  who  will  be  aided  by  Mrs.  Rossiter  and  her 
sisters. 

"  I  found  that  two  families  had  gone  back  to  Pitcairn 
Island,  and  I  heard  that  three  more  were  contemplating  a 
similar  move.  At  a  general  meeting  of  the  people  I  spoke 
strongly  to  them,  pointing  out  to  them  the  folly,  nay  the 
sin,  which  they  were  committing  in  throwing  aside  for 
themselves  as  well  as  for  their  children  the  means  of  living 
which  had  been  provided  for  them,  and  I  warned  them 
that  I  should  not  in  any  way  countenance  or  assist  them 
in  removing ;  that  I  should  put  a  condition  of  residence 
in  the  grant  of  land  which  I  was  prepared  to  make  to 
them,  and  should  prohibit  any  alienation  of  this  land  to 
any  but  inhabitants  of  the  island.  I  felt  the  more  bound 
to  do  this  as  I  found  that  the  magistrates  and  Mr.  Nobbs 
had,  in  the  case  of  the  people  who  had  left,  been  weak 
enough  to  agree  to  pay  to  the  captain  of  a  schooner  a  sum 
of  six  hundred  pounds,  as  the  passage-money  of  sixty 
adults  to  Pitcairn,  and  had  given  him  bills  for  three  hun- 
dred pounds  on  their  agent  at  Sydney,  which  he  claimed 
when  only  sixteen  went  down  instead  of  sixty.  This 
money,  I  may  observe,  was  the  value  of  the  wool  and  hides 
sold,  and  was  the  property  of  the  Government.  I  have 
now  taken  the  administration  of  the  public  funds  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  magistrates,  and  given  it  to  the  store- 
keeper, who  is  only  to  act,  as  far  as  regards  drawing  bills 
upon  the  wool,  etc.,  by  my  directions. 

"  The  island  is  now  marked  off  in  fifty-acre  allotments, 
and  I  propose  to  send  down  the  deeds  of  grant  when  I 
have  settled  the  form  and  conditions,  and  arranged  a  sim- 


292  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

pie  system  of  registration,  and  forms  of  sale,  mortgage,  etc. 
I  looked  out  for  a  place  where  it  might  be  possible  to  haul 
up  a  small  schooner  of  say  fifty  to  seventy  tons,  and  I 
think  we  might  manage  this  without  much  difficulty  in  a 
bay  to  the  east  of  the  island.  Until  the  inhabitants  can 
secure  some  regular  means  of  communication  with  the  ad- 
jacent colonies,  their  progress  will  be  slow. 

"I  look  forward  to  the  time  when  Norfolk  Island  will 
become  the  St.  Michael's  of  New  Zealand,  Tasmania,  and 
Melbourne.  Lemons  are  indigenous,  and  form  the  best 
stock  upon  which  the  orange  can  be  grafted.  I  have  sent 
down  several  of  the  best  descriptions  of  orange,  and  shall 
supply  them  with,  shaddock  and  other  fruits  of  the  same 
kind.  Mr.  Rossiter  is,  I  am  glad  to  find,  a  good  gar- 
dener. 

"I  am  writing  under  the  disadvantage  of  being  Just 
above  the  screw  ;  but  I  would  not  postpone  my  letter  till 
my  return  to  Sydney,  as  I  shall  probably  have  much  to  do, 
and  to  write  before  the  departure  of  the  mail.  Believe 
me,  yours  very  truly,  W.  Denison. 

"  I  have  given  Mr.  Nobbs  fifty  pounds  per  annum  out 
of  the  revenue  of  the  island,  in  addition  to  the  fifty  pounds 
which  he  receives  from  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel.  He  is  fairly  entitled  to  this,  and  I  trust  the 
Secretary  of  State  will  sanction  the  payment." 

In  a  former  letter  to  Admiral  Moresby,  Sir  William  ob- 
serves :  "  Your  son  has  taken  many  photographic  likeness- 
es of  the  people.  When  I  saw  them  together  at  a  public 
meeting  I  was  struck  with  their  general  appearance,  and 
gave  them  credit  for  being  a  fine  race.  There  are  not 
many  instances  of  beauty,  but  many  of  good  looks,  and  the 
shape  of  the  head  is  good  in  nearly  all.  He  has  furnished 
me  with  some  specimens  of  his  work,  which  I  am  going  to 
send  to  England.  He  was  in.  great  request  at  Norfolk 
Island." 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr.  Nobbs,  which  gives  an  in- 


PARTIAL  METUMN  TO  PITVAIltX.  293 

teresting  account  of  the  occurrences  at  Norfolk  Island  for 
the  year  1859 : 

"  Norfolk  Island,  October  10th,  1859. 

"  The  affairs  of  last  year,  although  my  letters  did  not 
arrive,  will,  I  presume,  have  been  communicated  to  you  by 
our  beloved  Fortescue,  whom  I  have  endeavored  to  keep 
aufait  in  Norfolk  Island  matters.  Our  people  succeeded 
in  taking  one  hundred  and  twenty  barrels  of  oil  last  year, 
one  hundred  of  which  was  sent  to  Sydney,  and  realized 
two  hundred  and  forty  pounds.  This  money  has  just  been 
sent  down  to  us,  but  will  not  much  more  than  cover  the 
expense  of  the  getting  and  fitting  out  of  last  season,  and 
the  cost  of  new  boats,  lines,  casks,  etc.,  for  the  establish- 
ment on  a  larger  scale  this  year.  We  have  now  four 
boats  well  equipped,  and  which  require  twenty-four  men 
to  work  them.  The  whaling-season  is  just  now  commenc- 
ing. Last  week  they  killed  three  large  cow-whales,  but 
they  sank  immediately  (a  common  case),  and  we  feared 
they  were  totally  lost;  however,  we  have  had  a  sharp 
look-out  on  the  hill,  and  at  this  very  moment  the  news  has 
come  over  from  the  Cascades,  and  now  the  boats  are  off, 
one  of  them  having  risen  to  the  surface.  She  will  be  tow- 
ed in,  being  some  five  miles  distance  from  the  land.  I  sus- 
pect the  sharks  have  been  banqueting.  '  We  have  now 
some  hope  of  recovering  the  others ;  a  day  or  two  will  de- 
cide. In  the  melee  last  week  we  had  one  boat  smashed, 
but  the  boat's  crew  would  not  cut  from  the  whale,  al- 
though there  was  a  hole  in  the  fore-part  of  the  boat  big 
enough  for  a  man  to  go  through.  They  all  went  aft  into 
the  stern  sheets,  and,  spite  of  the  kicking  and  fighting  of 
the  whale,  held  on  till  the  other  boats  came  to  their  as- 
sistance, which  was  scarcely  done  when  the  broken  boat, 
being  full  of  water,  rolled  over  bottom  up.  In  that  boat  I 
had  three  sons  and  two  sons-in-law.  I  remonstrated  with 
these  for  their  rashness,  but  they  seemed  to  think  there 
was  no  very  great  danger. 

"  In  the  month  of  December  last,  two  families  number- 
ing sixteen  persons,  four  only  of  whom  were  over  fifteen 


294  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

years  01  age,  returned  to  Pitcairn,  and  we  have  not  yet 
heard  any  thing  concerning  them.  Two  or  three  other 
families  seem  determined  to  go  if  an  opportunity  offers; 
and  since  they  show  such  dogged  and  willful  ingratitude, 
I  have  left  off  dissuading  them.  I  and  mine  will  remain, 
if  it  please  God,  most  grateful  that  we  have  so  goodly 
an  heritage.  The  season  has  been  very  favorable,  and  we 
have  plenty  of  Indian  corn  and  sweet-potatoes,  with  fish, 
milk,  and  butter.  Irish  potatoes  will  not  thrive ;  would 
they  do  so,  whale-ships  would  supply  us  with  almost  ev- 
ery thing  we  needed.     Flour  we  must  also  import. 

"There  has  been  very  little  sickness  amongst  the  com- 
munity; the  most  are  becoming  contented,  and,  conse- 
quently, comfortable.  Mr.  Rossiter  is,  I  think,  just  such  a 
man  as  was  needed,  industrious  in  school  and  out,  and 
very  unassuming.  The  miller  and  mason  are  cultivating 
their  allotments.  They  have  not  yet  commenced  working 
at  their  respective  callings,  but  I  presume  they  will  soon. 

"H.M.S.  Niger  was  here  two  weeks  ago,  bringing  a 
large  quantity  of  articles  purchased  by  Sir  William  Deni- 
son  for  opening  a  store  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Rossi- 
ter, who  is  to  charge  ten  per  cent,  on  the  prime  cost  of  the 
articles  to  cover  contingencies.  Could  Lady  Moresby 
have  seen  the  opening  day,  she  would  have  been  both 
amused  and  gratified.  The  only  expensive  thing  is  flour, 
which  at  the  present  time  is  very  dear  at  Sydney.  Sir 
William  has  taken  the  control  of  the  sheep  into  his  own 
hands ;  the  wool  is  to  be  sent  to  Sydney  for  the  benefit  of 
the  community,  the  proceeds  therefrom  being  placed  in 
the  bank  with  the  consent  of  the  governor,  whose  signa- 
ture must  be  affixed  to  the  drafts.  This  is  to  prevent  Her 
Majesty's  royal  bounty  being  perverted  to  uses  for  which 
it  never  was  designed,  and  right  glad  am  I  that  Sir  Wil- 
liam Denison  has  been  pleased  to  use  such  a  wise  precau- 
tion. From  this  fund  His  Excellency  allows  me  fifty 
pounds  a  year,  which,  though  an  unexpected,  is  a  welcome 
addition  to  my  stipend  from  the  S.P.G.  I  can,  by  sailing 
close  to  the  wind,  make  fifty  pounds  a  year  suffice — with  a 


NAOMI   NOBBS. 


JANE  NOBBS. 


JANE  NO  BBS  AND  MATRIMONY.  297 

trifle  that  comes  to  my  share  from  trading  with  whalers 
(which,  of  course,  my  sons  transact  for  me) — for  clothing 
and  other  articles  of  importation  for  my  family,  which 
consists  of  fifteen  persons  actually  residing  under  my  roof; 
and  I  have  written  to  Mr.  Arthur  Mills,  who  most  kind- 
ly invited  me  to  do  so,  to  know  whether,  should  my  health 
be  spared  for  a  few  years  longer,  my  stipend  from  the 
S.P.G.  would  suffice  to  purchase  an  annuity  for  the  time 
when  life  shall  become  a  burden.  •  My  sixtieth  year  will 
be  completed  on  the  16th  of  this  month,  and,  of  course,  in 
a  few  years,  humanly  speaking,  I  shall  be  laid  up  on  the 
shelf,  and  the  last  move  I  desire  to  make  on  life's  checker- 
ed board  is  to  obtain  an  annuity  of  fifty  pounds  for  the 
days  of  helpless  senility.  As  I  suppose  my  stipend  from 
the  society  will  cease  with  my  services,  and  that  portion  I 
am  to  receive  from  the  wool  will,  of  course,  go  to  my  suc- 
cessor, I  shall  be  without  resources,  and  I  have  an  English- 
man's horror  of  dependence 

"A  certain  Mr.  King,  the  commander  of  a  whale-ship 
out  of  Sydney,  has  proposed  for  Jane,  and  she,  with  the 
consent  of  her  mother  and  myself,  is  inclined  to  accept 
him.  I  know  nothing  of  the  young  man,  beyond  his  occa- 
sional visits  of  a  few  days  when  touching  here  for  sup- 
plies. I  wrote  to  Forty,*  requesting  him  to  make  inqui- 
ries, which  he  promptly  did.  The  result  of  which  was, 
that  King,  when  second  mate  and  mate,  had  been  a  wild 
chap,  but  since  he  had  become  master  he  had  conducted 
himself  very  satisfactorily.  We  expect  him  here  next 
December,  when,  if  he  has  been  successful,  he  will  return 
to  Sydney ;  and  the  owners  have  promised  to  give  him  a 
better  ship  than  the  one  he  now  commands.  He  will 
probably  return  in  March  or  April  next,  when,  I  suppose, 
if  nothing  transpires  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  young 
man,  the  wedding  will  take  place.  Now,  as  Jane's  dear- 
est and  best  of  friends,  you  will  anxiously  inquire,  why 
does    not    the  silly  girl  marry  one  of  her  own  people  ? 

*  Fortescue  Moresby,  son  and  secretary  of  the  admiral. 
13* 


298  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Well,  the  reasons  are  not  very  reconcilable,  and  may  be 
answered  very  briefly.  In  the  first  place,  there  are  but 
two  men  near  Jane's  age  unmarried.  One  of  these  is  of 
deficient  intellect,  and  the  other  is  of  so  taciturn  a  disposi- 
tion that  he  would  scarcely  speak  for  months,  if  not  spoken 
to ;  in  fact,  no  girl  ever  expects  Robert  Buffs  to  make 
them  an  offer.  Jane  is  now  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
and  any  of  the  lads  four  or  five  years  younger  than  herself 
would  be  rejected  with  contempt.  I  suppose,  if  she  don't 
marry  an  Englishman  or  an  American — and  she  has  had 
offers  from  both — she  will  remain  single.  The  matter  is  a 
source  of  anxiety  both  to  my  good  wife  and  myself,  and 
Forty  seems  quite  averse  to  the  match.  However,  I  will 
use  all  prudence,  with  a  prayerful  attention  to  my  duty  as 
a  parent,  and  will  then  leave  the  result  to  Him  who  has 
graciously  said, '  I  will  pour  my  Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and 
my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring.' " 

Letter  from  His  Excellency  Sir  William  Denison  to 
Rear-admiral  Moresby,  relating  to  the  management  of  the 
island  resources : 

"  Government-house,  December  28th,  1859. 

"The  step  which  I  have  taken  of  placing  the  sheep,  etc., 
which  belong  to  the  Government  in  the  hands  of  the 
storekeeper,  and  only  allowing  him  to  kill  a  certain  num- 
ber, whose  carcasses  he  is  to  sell  and  account  for,  will,  by 
compelling  the  people  to  work,  in  order  to  get  money  to 
purchase,  stimulate  their  industry. 

"You  must  not  expect  too  much  from  these  people; 
they  are  uneducated,  and,  though  simple  and  kind-heart- 
ed, have  exactly  the  same  passions  and  feelings  as  other 
men. 

"Temptation  has  been  kept  from  them,  but  should  it 
come  upon  them,  their  very  ignorance  will  make  it  more 
difficult  for  them  to  resist  it.  All  that  we  can  do  is  to 
strengthen  their  intellects,  while  at  the  same  time  we  give 
them  good  and  sound  principles  to  guide  them.  They 
will  then  be  in  a  position  to  fight  against  the  temptations 


NORFOLK  ISLAND  IN  1859.  299 

to  which  they  must  necessarily  be  exposed.  The  question 
of  a  successor  to  Nobbs  will  be  a  difficult  one ;  the  induce- 
ment which  we  can  offer  is  but  small — a  house,  some  land, 
fifty  pounds  per  annum  from  the  Island  Fund,  and  perhaps 
fifty  pounds  from  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel.  I  confess,  however,  that  I  should  gladly  see  a 
tithe  imposed  on  the  inhabitants,  or  rather  such  a  tax  as 
would  not  press  unfairly  on  the  industrious,  the  proceeds 
of  which  would  be  applied  to  the  support  of  the  clergy- 
man and  school-master.  "VYe  must  wait  for  this,  however. 
"  Believe  me,  yours  very  truly,  W.  Denison." 

Sir  William  Denison  speaks  in  another  place*  of  the 
Pitcairn  people  in  the  following  terms :  "  The  opinion  I 
formed  at  first  of  their  kindness  and  amiability  I  am,  on 
further  acquaintance,  quite  willing  to  confirm,  and  to  at- 
tribute it  to  something  better  than  a  mere  kindliness  of 
disposition — in  fact,  to  the  operation  of  religion  on  their 
hearts.  Then  the  apathy  and  listlessness  which  I  was  dis- 
posed at  first  to  impute  to  a  positive  disinclination  to 
work,  I  now  believe  to  be  the  result  of  ignorance,  and  of 
the  absence  of  sufficient  inducement  to  labor.  Their  only 
object  now  is  to  obtain  a  supply  of  food  for  themselves 
and  their  families,  and  when  their  potatoes  are  hoed,  they 
feel  they  have  nothing  else  to  do.  I  asked  myself  wheth- 
er, if  I  had  all  that  I  could  wish  for,  without  any  effort  on 
my  part,  I  should  work  for  the  mere  love  of  work,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  reply  that  I  should  not ;  this  has  hitherto 
been  the  case  with  these  poor  people. 

"  The  gift  of  land  in  fee-simple,  the  obligation  of  fencing 
it,  the  necessity  of  finding  the  means  of  purchasing  much 
which  they  hitherto  have  received  gratuitously,  will  give 
rise  to  new  wants,  and  offer  numerous  motives  for  exer- 
tion." 

*  "  Varieties  of  Vice-regal  Life,"  p.  414. 


300  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

One  of  Mr.  Nobbs's  younger  sons  having  gone  to  Syd- 
ney to  study  gardening,  Sir  William  Denison  very  kindly 
placed  him  for  instruction  under  the  head  -  gardener  at 
Government-house,  Sydney.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Nobbs,  Sir 
William  gives  the  following  excellent  advice : 

"  When  your  boy  comes  back  to  you,  I  think  he  will 
be  qualified  to  take  charge  of  your  garden,  and  the  most 
profitable  use  you  can  make  of  some  ten  or  twelve  acres 
of  your  land  will  be  to  plant  oranges.  You  may  be  sure 
that  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  the  demand  for  this  fruit 
in  New  Zealand  will  increase  very  much,  and  vessels  will 
run  up  to  you  from  Auckland  and  elsewhere  to  take  back 
a  cargo  of  fruit.  It  will  take  some  ten  years  or  so  for  the 
oranges  to  produce  a  full  crop,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time 
you  may  reckon  upon  a  return  of  30,000  dozen  from  ten 
acres  of  land.  I  should  recommend  others  to  follow  your 
example,  as  there  will  be  an  ample  demand  in  Victoria  and 
Tasmania  for  as  many  as  you  can  grow.  The  ground 
must  be  carefully  prepared,  must  be  trenched  two  feet 
deep,  and  should  be  well  manured  with  animal  refuse 
every  fourth  or  fifth  year.  The  stuff  from  the  boiling 
down  of  your  whale-blubber  will  answer  admirably.  By- 
the-by,  I  hope  that  you  will  be  wise  enough  to  reserve  not 
only  the  refuse  from  the  try-pots,  but  the  whole  carcass  of 
the  whales  for  manure." 

Extract  from  a  letter  of  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  to  Mr. 
Fortescue  Moresby : 

"Norfolk  Island,  July,  1860. 

" .  .  .  .  Poor  Frederick  is  in  great  distress  from  a 
dreadful  accident  by  which  he  lost  his  eldest  son  on  the  2d 
of  May.  A  little  before  sunset  on  that  day,  the  lad  (a  boy 
of  ten  years)  went  to  bring  in  his  father's  horse,  and  took 
with  him  a  stout  line,  some  five  fathoms  long,  for  tether- 
ing the  animal  during  the  night,  as  Frederick  needed  the 
horse  to  go  to  the  Cascades  on  the  following  morning. 
At  dusk  the  lad  was  observed  galloping  by  the  slaughter- 


NOBFOLK  ISLAND  IN  1360.  301 

house,  and  was  never  seen  again  alive.  His  parents  be- 
coming anxious  about  their  child,  went  from  house  to 
house  making  inquiries,  but  could  hear  nothing  of  him ; 
they  called  also  at  the  singing-school,  it  being  Wednesday 
evening,  but  could  obtain  no  further  intelligence  than  that 
mentioned  above.  Alarm  being  now  created,  most  of  the 
community  went  in  search.  At  length  Frederick  and  his 
wife,  with  two  or  three  others,  discovered  the  horse  quiet- 
ly grazing  near  c  Emily  Bay.'  One  end  of  the  rope  which 
the  boy  had  taken  with  him,  and  probably  coiled  above 
his  shoulders  and  under  his  arm  for  convenience,  was  at- 
tached to  the  horse's  neck,  and,  sad  to  relate,  the  other  end 
was  twined  round  the  body  and  neck  of  their  poor  child. 
Life  was  extinct,  and  had  been  so  for  some  hours,  it  being 
ten  o'clock  when  the  body  was  found.  He  no  doubt  died 
from  strangulation,  though  there  were  two  fractures  of  the 
skull,  either  of  which  would  have  caused  death.  It  was  a 
dreadful  sight,  especially  for  poor  Frederick  and  his  wife, 
who  were  the  first  to  make  the  awful  discovery.  The  cir- 
cumstance has  thrown  a  gloom  over  the  whole  of  the  com- 
munity. 

"  I  think  I  mentioned  in  my  last  the  hasty  and  unex- 
pected departure  of  the  stone-mason ;  and  I  learn  from  our 
people  the  miller  intends  following  him,  though  he  will 
leave  his  wife  and  children  here  for  the  present,  as  he  has 
not  the  means  of  paying  their  passage  hence.  It  is  not 
probable  any  mechanic  who  can  do  better  will  remain  in 
so  isolated  a  spot  as  this,  without  any  probability  of  ren- 
dering their  labor  remunerative  beyond  the  acquirement 
of  a  bare  subsistence.  There  is  no  possibility  of  making 
money.  The  community  have  none ;  what  little  they  had 
has  been  laid  out,  and  I  think  beneficially  so,  in  Mr.  Rossi- 
ter's  store,  and  the  prospect  of  obtaining  more  is  very 
doubtful.  We  have  plenty  of  sweet-potatoes  for  sale,  but 
ships  do  not  want  them ;  we  have  beef  also,  but  whenever 
a  whaler  purchases  any,  he  demurs  about  paying  in  cash, 
and  frequently  declines  it  altogether  if  trade  of  some  kind 
is  not  taken  in  exchange,  and  even  then  the  quantities  of 


302  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY 

meat  required  are  so  small,  that  the  returns  among  the 
community  amount  to  but  a  trifle  indeed.  Believe  me,  I 
do  not  speak  in  a  complaining  manner.  I  have  no  reason 
to  do  so,  for  we  are  much  better  off  than  at  Pitcairn,  and 
neither  I  nor  mine  would  return  on  any  account;  but 
strangers  can  not  assimilate  with  us,  and  of  course  express 
themselves  greatly  disappointed  in  their  expectations,  and 
I  dare  say  they  really  are  so. 

"  Mr.  Rossiter  is  very  attentive  to  the  school,  but  I  do 
not  yet  see  there  is  practically  any  improvement  upon  the 
old  regime — what  may  be  hereafter  is  hard  to  say.  I  pre- 
sume I  have  been  the  most  benefited  by  Mr.  Rossiter's  ad-» 
vent,  in  being  relieved  from  the  cares  and  responsibilities 
of  teaching,  which  were  ever  a  source  of  intense  anxiety 
to  me,  and  told  heavily  on  my  constitution.  If  Mr.  Rossi- 
ter  has  as  good  a  salary  as  report  says  he  has,  of  course  he 
will  remain  as  long  as  his  appointment  lasts;  to  what 
length  that  may  extend  I  know  not.  He  is  very  atten- 
tive, and  regular  in  attendance  at  the  school,  and  sets  a 
good  example  of  industry  in  his  own  affairs  at  other  times ; 
but  there  is  a  brusqueness  in  his  general  deportment, 
which  prevents  his  being  generally  liked  by  the  communi- 
ty. I  am  not  complaining  of  Mr.  Rossiter ;  he  is  very  re- 
spectful to  myself,  and  we  are  on  the  best  of  terms,  as  far 
as  our  intercourse  with  each  other  extends,  and  will,  I 
have  no  doubt,  continue  so ;  but  many  of  our  people  think 
he  is  placed  here  for  some  latent  purpose  by  the  Govern- 
ment or  the  governor,  and  are  therefore  prejudiced  in  their 
opinions.  I  sometimes  fear,  but  I  hope  better  things,  that 
several  families  will  return  to  Pitcairn,  if  they  can  obtain 
a  passage. 

"  Well,  now,  my  dear  Forty,  I  must  conclude  this  digress- 
ive epistle,  by  asking  you  to  offer  my  respects  to  Commo- 
dore Loring,  your  worthy  shipmates,  and  to  any  one  else 
who  may  care  to  inquire  after  the  welfare  of  yours  most 
sincerely  and  gratefully,  George  H.  Nobbs." 

Extract  from  a  letter  from  Mr.  Nobbs's  daughter  Jane 


LETTER  FROM  JANE  NOBBS.  303 

to  Admiral  Moresby,  in  which  she  alludes  to  her  mother's 
declining  health : 

"  Norfolk  Island,  March  13th,  1861. 

"  Our  beloved  mother,  who  is  now  getting  quite  old,  is 
not  at  all  well  of  late.  She  does  not  get  very  weak,  but 
is  hardly  able  to  do  any  thing  without  being  very  ill.  I 
have  a  good  deal  of  work  to  do  at  all  times,  but  I  always 
try  to  bear  in  mind  what  the  holy  Apostle  says,  '  In  what- 
soever state  I  am  therewith  to  be  content ;'  and  that  al- 
ways cheers  me  in  my  daily  labor.  Sometimes  I  feel  sore- 
ly anxious  about  her.  If  any  thing  should  happen  to  her, 
I  don't  know  what  I  should  do,  for  I  often  think  I  can  not 
live  without  her ;  but  still  a  voice  would  say,  '  It  is  the 
Lord,  let  Him  do  what  seemeth  Him  good.'  Sometimes  I 
have  Dorcas  Young  to  help  me.  She  has  become  such  a 
good,  kind-hearted  woman  that  she  is  every  one's  favorite. 

"  If  strangers  come  to  Norfolk  Island,  and  at  any  time 
want  help,  they  would  even  send  for  her  to  assist  them 
before  any  one  else.  Mrs.  Rossiter  often  sends  for  her  to 
help,  if  they  have  any  thing  to  do  more  than  they  can  do 
themselves.  She  lives  in  the  next  house  to  ours  with  her 
sister  Miriam  Christian.  She  is  my  best  friend  among  the 
girls,  and  I  would  not  lose  her  friendship  for  any  thing  the 
world  can  offer  me. 

"  We  very,  very  often  talk  of  you,  the  old  Portland,  and 
Pitcairn.  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  my  worthy 
friend,  for  the  kind  remembrance  in  father's  letter,  but  I 
humbly  ask  you  not  to  think  that  any  uncertainty  of  get- 
ting married  will  prevent  my  writing  to  you  —  one  to 
whom  I  owe  so  much  remembrance  and  gratitude.  As  to 
that  affair,  I  leave  it  entirely  to  the  will  of  the  All-wise 
Providence ;  if  it  should  be  His  will  that  we  should  get 
married,  I  trust  He  will  bless  us ;  but  if  otherwise,  then, 
'  His  will  be  done '  also ;  but  I  assure  you  I  love  him  sin- 
cerely." 

In  the  following  letter  from  Mr.  Nobbs  to  his  kind 
friends  in  England,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  White,  the  daughter  and 


304  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

son-in-law  of  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  K.C.B.,  he 
mentions  the  recent  arrival  of  His  Excellency  Sir  John 
Young,  successor  of  Sir  William  Denison  as  Governor-gen- 
eral of  New  South  Wales : 

"  Norfolk  Island,  February  26th,  1862. 

"My  dear  Friends, — May  the  peace  of  God,  which 
bringeth  salvation,  be  to  and  upon  yourselves,  and  all 
whom  you  love.  It  is  nearly  a  decade  of  years  since  I 
partook  of  the  domestic  hospitalities  of  so  many  friends 
in  England,  and  yours  beloved  neither  the  last  nor  the 
least.  The  recollections  of  such  unqualified  kindness  have 
not  at  all  faded  from  my  memory :  but  very  few  of  those 
who  accorded  me  the  right  hand  of  Christian  sympathy 
and  benevolence  are  now  in  the  flesh.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  Sir  Fairfax,  Sir  Thomas  Acland,  Mrs.  Prevost,  and 
yourselves,  all,  or  nearly  all,  have  been  summoned  from 
time  into  eternity.  Well,  in  all  probability,  ere  another 
decade,  the  two  first  of  these,  my  well-beloved  friends,  and 
myself,  will  have  passed  the  'bourne,'  and  shall  know, 
even  as  we  are  known.  Oh !  that  in  passing  the  stream 
we  may  be  enabled  to  say  with  Hopeful,  'I  feel  the  bot- 
tom, and  it  is  good !'  May  our  token  be  '  the  arrow  with 
a  point  sharpened  with  love  !'  Some  of  the  tokens  mani- 
fested to  Christian's  friends  are  beginning  to  display  them- 
selves on  my  bodily  frame ;  may  other  admonitions  be  as 
cheerfully  attended  to,  and  the  preparation  made  with  cor- 
responding alacrity ;  and  may  I  be  enabled  to  exclaim, 
1  Grace  reigns !' 

"  I  have  not  heard  from  you  for  a  long  time,  but  I  re- 
ceived some  months  since  very  tangible  evidence  that  you 
remembered  us,  in  deeds,  if  not  in  words.  .  .  .  If  it  should 
please  yourselves  or  your  Christian  friends  to  contribute 
further  to  the  comfort  of  other  members  of  the  community 
and  myself  and  families,  please  to  put  inside  the  box  a  few 
lines,  so  that  should  a  letter  miscarry,  we  may  not  be  at  a 
loss  to  attribute  the  favor  to  those  who  have  a  just  claim 
to  our  gratitude. 


XOUFOLK  ISLAND  IN  1808.  305 

"  None  of  our  elder  people  have  died  since  our  abode 
here,  and  we  have  not  nearly  as  much  sickness  here  as  at 
Pitcairn.  Nearly  six  years  have  elapsed,  and  there  have 
been  but  thirteen  deaths  (four  of  them  accidental ;  nearly 
all  the  others  very  young  children)  to  eighty-six  births,  so 
that  you  see,  my  dear  friends,  'tis  not  at  Grantham  only 
that  population  rapidly  increases.  Jane  was  married  a 
few  months  since  to  her  cousin  John  Quintal.  I  have  now 
six  children  married,  and,  of  course,  grandchildren  are  rap- 
idly increasing  in  number.  My  dear  wife  suffers  very 
much  at  times  from  what  I  fear  is  a  disease  of  the  heart. 
She  sends  her  Christian  regards  to  yourselves  and  your 
olive-branches.  I  should  like  to  meet  them  all  around 
your  hospitable  board,  but  as  that  may  not  be,  I  and  mine 
will  remember  them  when  we  assemble  round  the  footstool 
of  grace  and  mercy. 

"  With  fervent  aspirations  that  you  may  be  saved  with 
an  everlasting  salvation,  I  am,  dear  Robert  and  Mary 
White,  yours  in  Christian  verity, 

"  Geokge  H.  Nobbs. 

"April  6th. — I  open  this  to  say  Sir  John  Young  arrived 
yesterday,  and  will  leave  on  Sunday.  All  in  a  bustle,  not 
the  least  myself,  attending  His  Excellency  and  preparing  a 
sermon.     I  will  write  to  the  admiral  soon." 

We  shall  here  digress  a  little  from  the  history  of  the 
Pitcairn  colony  to  relate  a  sad  misfortune  which  befell  two 
of  their  most  promising  young  men. 

In  the  year  1860,  Bishop  Selwyn,  considering  that  the 
diocese  of  New  Zealand  was  too  extensive,  and  the  duties 
in  consequence  too  onerous,  represented  to  the  Govern- 
ment the  advantage  of  separating  the  Melanesian  Islands 
and  forming  them  into  a  bishopric.  He  also  recommend- 
ed the  Rev.  Mr.  Patteson,  from  his  knowledge  of  the  dif- 
ferent languages,  as  the  fittest  person  to  fill  the  office  of 
bishop. 

The  Government  assented  to  these  representations,  and 


306  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

the  Rev.  T.  E.  Patteson  was  duly  consecrated  "  Bishop  of 
the  Western  Isles,"  at  Auckland,  New  Zealand,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Bishops  of  New  Zealand,  Wellington,  and 
Nelson.* 

In  a  few  years  he  was  to  experience  the  sad  reality  that 
the  perils  which  in  ancient  times  encompassed  preachers 
of  Christianity,  and  conferred  on  so  many  the  bright 
crown  of  martyrdom,  are  not  unknown  at  the  present  day 
among  those  who  devote  themselves  to  the  missionary 
service. 

In  1864,  Bishop  Patteson,  on  his  voyage  to  the  different 
islands  in  his  diocese,  was  accompanied  in  the  Southern 
Cross  (the  mission  vessel)  by  Edwin  Nobbs,  son  of  the 
Pitcairn  chaplain,  a  fine  handsome  youth  of  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  who  it  was  hoped  would  succeed  eventually 
to  his  father's  office,  and  also  by  Fisher  Young,f  who  had 
been  a  great  favorite  with  Mrs.  Selwyn,  when  in  Norfolk 
Island. 

Two  years  before,  Bishop  Patteson,  during  his  annual 
visitation,  had  landed  at  several  places  on  'the  island  of 
Santa  Cruz,  and  had  been  received  with  kindliness  by  the 
natives.  The  people  had  the  name  of  being  some  of  the 
most  treacherous  of  the  Pacific  Islanders,  but  Bishop  Pat- 
teson had  seen  no  sign  of  the  justice  of  the  accusation, 
and  was  inclined  to  believe  that  it  was  a  fabrication  con- 
cocted by  people  who  had  provoked  them  by  injury  or  in- 
sult, and  had  then  found  themselves  attacked.  He  now, 
however,  took  his  usual  precaution  of  landing  alone,  so 
that  his  life  only  should  be  endangered,  the  boat,  contain- 
ing Fisher  Young,  Edwin  Nobbs,  and  two  Englishmen, 
Mr.  Pearce  and  Mr.  Atkins,  remaining  twenty  yards  from 
the  coral  reef. 

*  "Island  Mission," p.  231. 

t  A  descendant  of  Edward  Young,  of  the  Bounty. 


MURDER  OF  EDWIN  NOBBS  AND  FISHER   YOUNG.    SOI 

Nothing  occurred  while  the  bishop  was  on  shore  to  give 
him  any  suspicion  of  unfriendliness ;  he  went  up  to  the 
village  and  sat  among  the  people,  and  then  returned  to  the 
boat,  swimming  out  to  it,  as  usual.  Three  or  four  hun- 
dred natives  stood  upon  the  coral  reef,  and  some,  as  usual, 
swam  by  the  side,  and  there  kept  their  hands,  it  was  ob- 
served, upon  the  boat,  and  refused  to  detach  them,  so  that 
the  bishop  had  some  difficulty  in  getting  rid  of  them. 
Suddenly  an  arrow  flew  by,  and  another,  and  another. 
The  bishop  had  not  shipped  the  rudder,  and  held  it  up, 
hoping  to  ward  off  any  arrow  that  came  straight,  but  on 
looking  round,  he  saw  Edwin  Nobbs  with  an  arrow  in  his 
chest.  Suddenly  Fisher  Young,  who  was  rowing,  gave  a 
faint  scream  as  an  arrow  transfixed  his  wrist,  but  the  brave 
boy  still  pulled  on,  and  the  bishop  and  Mr.  Atkins  sustain- 
ed no  injury.  As  soon  as  possible  the  sail  was  hoisted  up, 
and  with  a  light  breeze  the  Southern  Cross,  two  miles  off, 
was  reached  without  further  harm.  The  arrow  wounds 
were  dressed,  though  it  was  a  work  of  difficulty  to  extract 
them,  especially  poor  Fisher's,  and  then  came  days  of  sus- 
pense and  anxiety — were  the  arrows  poisoned  or  not  ?  If 
so,  it  seemed  impossible  that  the  Norfolk  Island  lads,  who, 
like  all  Pacific  Islanders,  were  especially  subject  to  lock- 
jaw, should  escape.  Five  days  after,  as  Fisher  was  sitting 
with  the  bishop  in  the  cabin,  he  said, "  I  can't  think  what 
makes  my  jaw  so  stiff."  From  that  time  there  was  no 
hope ;  the  poor  fellow  grew  worse  and  worse,  his  body  rigid 
like  a  bar  of  iron,  with  fearful  convulsions  and  spasms  from 
time  to  time ;  but  in  his  most  terrible  agony,  he  never  lost 
faith  and  patience.  Simple-minded  and  humble  as  he  had 
always  been,  so  he  remained  to  the  end,  trusting  that  all 
things  were  ordered  by  his  Heavenly  Father  for  his  good, 
and  that  the  blow  which  thus  struck  him  down  in  his 
early  youth,  while  life  was  just  opening  before  him,  was 


308  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

but  opening  the  gate  of  the  glorious  land  beyond.  Several 
times  his  mind  seemed  to  revert  to  the  men  who  had  kill- 
ed him,  and  he  said,  "  Poor  Santa  Cruz  people  !  poor  peo- 
ple !"  His  sufferings  were  mercifully  ended  on  the  Mon- 
day morning,  when  he  passed  away  to  his  rest.  Five  days 
afterwards  Edwin  Nobbs  was  attacked  by  symptoms  of 
the  same  terrible  disease.  His  case  appeared  to  take  a 
less  acute  form,  and  for  some  days  it  was  hoped  that  he 
would  recover;  but  after  lingering  for  some  time,  during 
which  he  showed  the  same  Christian  faith  and  steadfast 
endurance,  he  also  died,  and  was  buried  at  sea. 

The  bishop's  next  meeting  with  Edwin's  and  Fisher's 
parents  was  a  very  sad  one,  as  may  be  imagined.  But 
they  felt  that  the  cause  in  which  their  children  had  died 
was  a  noble  one,  and  worth  the  sacrifice ;  and  Mr.  Nobbs, 
together  with  others,  offered  to  commit  to  the  bishop's 
care  some  more  of  their  children  to  be  trained  by  him  to 
follow  in  the  same  career. 


THE  MELANESIAN  MISSION  COLLEGE  309 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Establishment  of  the  Melanesian  Mission  College  on  Norfolk  Island. — 
Letters  from  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand,  Sir  William  Denison,  Sir  John 
Young,  etc.,  etc. 

* 
The  period  had  now  arrived  when  the  minds  ot  the 

community  were  agitated  by  important  questions  concern- 
ing the  Melanesian  mission.  Bishop  Selwyn's  indefatiga- 
ble labors  had  made  him  familiar  not  only  with  Pitcairn 
and  Norfolk  Islands,  but  also  with  nearly  all  the  inhabited 
islands*  which  stud  the  expanse  of  the  Southern  Ocean. 
Norfolk  Island  had  especially  attracted  his  attention,  and 
he  demonstrated  its  advantages  as  early  as  the  year  1853, 
when  first  the  proposal  was  entertained  of  discontinuing 
the  convict  station.  It  appeared  to  him  to  offer  unusual 
advantages  for  the  establishment  of  an  episcopal  see,  ful- 
filling the  necessary  conditions  by  forming  part  of  Her 
Majesty's  dominions,  and  at  the  same  time  occupying  a 
central  position,  from  which  supervision  might  be  exer- 
cised over  fifty  neighboring  islands.  His  plan  included  a 
training  institution,  where  native  missionaries  might  be  in- 
structed in  the  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  whence  in  due 
time  they  might  spread  abroad  to  evangelize  their  heathen 
brethren.  These  views  were  explained  to  the  Pitcairn 
Island  Fund  Committee,  in  the  year  1854,  but  did  not  ob- 
tain their  concurrence,  inasmuch  as  it  was  known  that  they 
were  not  favorably  regarded  by  the  Pitcairn  (now  Norfolk 
Island)  community.     The  motives  of  the  bishop  were  ex- 

*  For  an  account  of  the  islands  included  in  the  Melanesian  Mission,  see 
note,  chap,  vi.,  pp.  269,  270. 


310  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

plained  in  a  letter  to  Sir  William  Denison  two  years  later, 
who,  however,  did  not  approve  of  the  project,  and  it  fell 
into  abeyance  for  several  years. 

Letter  of  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand  to  Sir  William 
Denison. 

"  Sydney,  19th  June,  1856. 

"  My  dear  Sir  William, — Your  Excellency's  letter  of 
June  16th  has  entirely  removed  from  my  mind  the  fear 
which  I  had  entertained  after  our  interview  on  Friday, 
that  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  friends  of  the  Pitcairn  Isl- 
anders, though  all  desiring  the  same  end,  might  widely  dif- 
fer on  the  question  of  the  plans  to  be  adopted  for  their  ben- 
efit. I  am  therefore  encouraged  to  lay  before  you  a  full 
statement  of  the  views  and  wishes  of  a  very  numerous  and 
liberal  body  of  friends  to  the  Pitcairn  Islanders,  who  are 
desirous,  in  a  thankful  sense  of  the  merciful  Providence 
which  has  caused  this  branch  of  holiness  to  spring  out  of 
a  root  of  sin,  to  enable  them,  by  the  aid  of  the  same  over- 
ruling power,  to  make  Norfolk  Island,  once  too  truly  call- 
ed by  Judge  Burton  '  a  hell  upon  earth,'  the  fountain  of 
Christian  knowledge  to  the  islands  of  the  Western  Pacific. 

"  Your  Excellency,  I  believe,  agreed  with  me  in  opinion 
that  the  present  state  of  primitive  simplicity  in  which  the 
Pitcairn  Islanders  are  living  can  not  be  maintained  in  their 
new  position  in  the  midst  of  the  great  and  wealthy  colo- 
nies of  Australasia,  and  in  the  track  of  the  ships  of  all  the 
great  maritime  nations.  We  therefore  believe  that  they 
will  need  some  more  active  salt  to  preserve  them  from  cor- 
ruption than  the  presence  of  their  own  island  pastor,  and 
the  discharge  of  their  own  duties  of  religion.  And  we 
can  not  consider  any  work  more  likely  to  interest  them 
than  the  evangelization  of  the  heathen  isles  of  the  Western 
Pacific,  of  which  it  was  proposed  in  England  to  make  their 
new  island  the  centre,  and  some  of  them,  if  possible,  the  in- 
struments. 

"  It  has  been  found  in  the  London  Mission  that  no  other 
or  higher  prize  is  required  to  be  held  out  to  the  native 


LETTER  FROM  THE  BISHOP.  311 

students  in  the  missionary  college  at  Samoa  than  the  hope 
that  they  would  be  appointed  to  spend  or  to  lay  down 
their  lives  in  the-  Loyalty  Isles,  or  the  New  Hebrides. 
Your  Excellency's  knowledge  of  the  feelings  of  young  of- 
ficers in  the  army,  though  actuated  by  a  far  lower  motive, 
will  enable  you  to  conceive  and  to  accept  the  soundness 
of  our  reasons  for  believing  that  the  best  way  to  maintain 
and  exalt  the  character  of  the  Pitcairn  Islanders  would  be 
to  interest  and  engage  them  from  the  first  in  some  vigor- 
ous and  expansive  work  in  the  Church  of  Christ.  With  ' 
this  view  Sir  George  Grey,  the  late  Governor  of  New  Zea- 
land, before  his  departure  from  his  government,  recom- 
mended that  a  portion  of  the  island  should  be  allotted  to 
a  central  school,  for  the  education  of  select  scholars  from 
the  Western  Islands  of  the  Pacific. 

"To  this  letter,  addressed  to  His  Grace  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle,  I  am  not  aware  that  any  answer  has  been  re- 
turned ;  but  being  fully  convinced  that  a  proposal  so  rea- 
sonable in  itself,  and  so  full  of  promise  of  good  to  the  Pit- 
cairn Islanders,  and  through  them,  under  God,  to  all  the 
other  island  races,  would  be  ultimately  approved  by  the 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies,  I  collected  funds 
while  I  was  in  England  to  the  amount  of  £10,000,  of 
which  £8000  is  already  invested  in  Exchequer  Bonds,  for 
the  endowment  of  a  bishopric,  the  see  of  which  should  be 
on  Norfolk  Island,  as  the  bishoprics  intended  to  act  over 
Borneo  and  China  have  their  sees  respectively  on  the  isles 
of  Labuan  and  Hong  Kong.  It  would  be  understood,  of 
course,  as  in  the  case  of  China  and  Borneo,  that  the  real 
work  of  the  Bishop  of  Norfolk  Island  would  have  a  far 
wider  range  than  the  limits  of  his  island  see. 

"As  I  consider  Norfolk  Island  to  be  included  in  my 
spiritual  charge,  by  my  letters  patent,  by  its  vicinity  to 
New  Zealand,  and  by  my  commission  from  the  late  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury — except  as  far  as  for  special  civil  rea- 
sons it  may  be  annexed  from  time  to  time  to  either  Syd- 
ney or  Tasmania,  and  only  for  the  purposes  for  which  it  is 
so  annexed,  such  as  the  superintendence  of  convict  chap- 


312  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

lains — I  shall  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  carry  forward,  in 
communication  with  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Pitcairn 
colonists,  whatever  plans  I  may  believe  to  be  necessaay  to 
promote  their  spiritual  welfare,  and  the  extension  of  the 
kingdom  of  our  blessed  Lord. 

"  But  I  can  assure  Your  Excellency  that  I  am  so  well 
aware  of  the  difficulty  of  the  problem  to  be  worked  out, 
and  of  the  danger  of  failure,  that  I  shall  proceed  with  the 
utmost  caution,  and  shall  take  care  above  all  things  that 
no  chaplain,  or  other  person  acting  uncler  me,  shall  hold 
communication  with  the  islanders  who  would  be  likely  in 
the  least  degree  to  cause  any  such  dissatisfaction  or  dis- 
sension as  has,  I  fear,  already  begun.  It  would  be  to  sup- 
port Mr.  Nobbs  against  any  upstart  person  who  might  set 
himself  up  as  the  pastor  of  a  section  of  his  flock,  that  I 
might  feel  it  necessary  to  leave  such  an  educated  and 
Christian  man  as  Mr.  Patteson  to  allay  the  first  begin- 
nings of  party  strife.  Such  points  as  these,  I  respectfully 
submit  to  Your  Excellency,  are  scarcely  within  the  com- 
petency of  civil  intervention.  But  I  am  ready  at  once  to 
give  you  the  assurance  that  I  have  no  wish  to  take  any 
such  step,  but  that  I  would  very  much  prefer  the  course 
suggested  in  your  letter  of  awaiting  the  issue  of  the  first 
year,  and  then  judging  of  the  best  course  to  be  adopted 
for  the  future.     I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  G.  A.  N.,  New  Zealand." 

From  1856,  when  the  Pitcairn  Islanders  had  removed  to 
Norfolk  Island,  Bishop  Selwyn  had  wished  to  have  some 
more  convenient  point  than  Auckland  as  a  central  school 
for  the  Melanesian  children,  but  a  variety  of  reasons,  be- 
sides the  general  desire  for  seclusion,  caused  the  islanders 
to  oppose  the  bishop's  project  to  establish  a  school  or  col- 
lege on  Norfolk  Island.  They  considered  that  the  loca- 
tion in  their  midst  of  a  body  of  semi-converted  idolaters 
would  not,  even  under  vigilant  supervision,  be  conducive 
to  the  public  morality  or  social  progress.      Although,  in 


OBJECTIONS  TO  THE  COLLEGE.  313 

reply  to  a  taunt  in  the  "  Sydney  Herald,"  John  Adams 
observed,  and  perhaps  with  justice,  that  he  had  more  rea- 
son to  be  proud  of  his  mother  than  of  his  father;  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  Pitcairners  generally  felt  more  attachment 
to  the  white  civilized  race  than  towards  their  dark  Tahi- 
tian  cousins.  The  barbarous  inhabitants  of  the  surround- 
ing islands  they  regarded  with  decided  aversion.  Their 
appearance  does  not  seem,  certainly,  by  the  following  de- 
scription to  have  been  very  prepossessing : 

"  The  bishop  was  pulled  on  shore  by  a  boat's  crew  of 
Solomon  Island  natives.  They  had  rings  in  their  noses, 
and  the  lobes  of  their  ears  had  been  perforated,  and  the 
holes  so  widely  extended  that  they  hung  down  like  loops 
of  india-rubber,  into  which  your  hand  might  be  inserted 
without  difficulty."  Mr.  Nobbs  observes  that  they  never- 
theless seemed  tractable  and  obedient,  but  considered  that 
their  introduction  might  bring  "febrile  and  dysenteric 
contagion." 

Another  objection  to  the  pi*oposed  scheme  was  that  the 
Pitcairners  considered  that  they  had  an  indefeasible  right 
and  title  to  the  whole  of  Norfolk  Island,  and  every  thing 
it  contained,  and  they  feared  that  to  admit  a  precedent 
for  alienation  might  finally  deprive  their  posterity  of  the 
whole  of  their  guaranteed  inheritance.  They  maintained 
that  it  was  upon  the  condition  of  an  unqualified  cession 
that  they  consented  to  leave  Pitcairn.  That  such  a  claim 
was  not  recognized  would  have  been  evident  to  them  had 
they  duly  considered  that  Sir  William  Denison  provided, 
with  regard  to  the  distribution  of  land,  that  it  should  be 
subject  to  be  revised  and  amended  by  the  Governor-gen- 
eral of  New  South  Wales,  "  to  whom  all  the  arrangements 
had  been  intrusted  by  Her  Majesty."  This  is  shown  in 
the  following  letter : 

14 


314  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"Government-house,  Sydney,  May  16th,  1856. 
"Sir, — With  reference  to  that  paragraph  in  your  in- 
structions by  which  you  were  directed  to  divide  the  land 
at  Norfolk  Island  among  the  families  of  the  Pitcairn  Isl- 
anders, reserving  only  certain  portions  as  specified  for 
public  purposes,  I  have  now  to  direct  you  to  do  this,  with 
the  distinct  provision  that  the  arrangement  of  the  land  is 
subject  to  be  revised  and  amended,  if  necessary,  by  the 
Governor-general  of  New  South  Wales,  to  whom  all  the 
arrangements  connected  with  the  settlement  of  the  island 
have  been  intrusted  by  Her  Majesty.     I  have,  etc., 

"  (Signed)  W.  Denison. 

"Lieut.  Gbegobie,  Norfolk  Island." 

In  page  39*7  of  "Varieties  of  Vice-regal  Life,"  by  Sir 
William  Denison,  headed  '  I  become  an  Autocrat,'  we  find 
that  full  powers  were  given  to  Sir  William  Denison.  He 
says, "  I  received  a  copy  of  the  orders  in  council  vesting 
the  government  of  Norfolk  Island  in  the  Governor  of  New 
South  Wales  for  the  time  being,  and,  with  this,  instruc- 
tions, giving  to  the  governor  not  merely  the  usual  power 
as  head  of  the  executive,  but  also  those  of  the  two  Houses 
of  Parliament  in  addition,  power  to  make  the  laws,  as  well 
as  to  see  to  their  execution." 

The  same  governor  also  directed  that  the  chief  magis- 
trate should  keep  him  duly  informed  from  time  to  time 
of  the  state  and  progress  of  the  community,  and  on  his 
second  visit,  disapproving  the  manner  in  which  the  cattle 
held  in  common  were  managed,  and  indignant  at  the  ex- 
travagant terms  made  with  the  captain  of  the  merchant 
vessel  for  the  return  of  the  families  to  Pitcairn,  he  re- 
sumed possession  of  all  the  public  or  "Government" 
stock.  Such  acts  were  significant,  and  should  have  been 
instructive ;  but  although  it  was  evident  that  Sir  William 
Denison  did  not  consider  the  gift  of  the  Government  un- 
conditional and  irrevocable,  he  had  so  much  consideration 


NORFOLK  ISLAND  IN  1864.  315 

for  the  feelings  of  the  islanders,  that  during  his  term  of 
office  he  accepted  their  interpretation,  and  maintained  the 
state  grant  in  its  unquestionable  integrity.  Mr.  Nobbs 
writes,  June,  1858,  "  It  is  most  fortunate  that  Sir  William 
Denison  visited  us,  and  that  he  is  determined  to  prevent 
any  aggressions  from  outsiders.  His  Excellency  sent  me 
a  most  kind  letter,  requesting  me  to  write  frequently 
and  freely.  I  will  not  neglect  so  valuable  permission." 
Further  on  he  observes,  "  The  bishop  (Selwyn)  has  never 
yet  asked  or  received  one  penny  of  subscription  from  us. 
On  the  contrary,  he  is  most  generous  and .  affable,  and 
Mrs.  Selwyn  also  is  very  attentive  to  instruct  our  girls, 
who  seem  to  like  her  very  much." 

On  Sir  John  Young's  succeeding  to  office  the  bishop's 
scheme  was  again  brought  forward,  with  better  prospect 
of  success.  Bishop  Patteson,  after  the  severe  sickness  of 
his  scholars  in  1863  and  1864,  felt  how  desirable  it  would 
be  to  remove  them  to  a  climate  less  trying  to  their  deli- 
cate tropical  constitutions  than  Auckland.  He  could 
have  had  a  settlement  on  Curtis  Island,  in  Queensland, 
Australia,  the  climate  and  situation  of  which  was  desira- 
ble ;  but  the  character  of  the  population  in  Norfolk  Island 
decided  the  point,  and  the  new  governor  was  not  commit- 
ted to  the  policy  of  his  predecessor,  which,  as  he  observed, 
"  was  no  longer  advantageous,  and  had  always  been  in  its 
nature  transitory."  Strangers  had  by  this  time  become 
domesticated  among  the  original  colonists,  and  the  not 
unfrequent  visits  of  whaling-vessels,  with  their  disturbing 
accompaniments,  rendered  absolute  isolation  impracticable. 
Moreover,  the  Government  had  determined  to  withdraw 
the  grant  of  three  hundred  pounds  a  year  hitherto  allowed 
to  the  school-master,  and  it  became  therefore  not  only  de- 
sirable to  set  before  the  islanders  the  example  of  an  ener- 
getic community,  but  absolutely  necessary  to  raise  a  fund 


316  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

for  educational  and  other  general  purposes.  Proposals 
based  on  these  considerations  were  favorably  received  by 
the  colonial  secretary,  and  the  Pitcairners  themselves  con- 
curred in  the  scheme  on  receiving  assurances  that  no  fur- 
ther alienation  of  land  was  contemplated,  and  that  their 
original  seclusion  and  domesticity  would  not  be  invaded. 
It  appeared,  however,  that  in  according  this  acquiescence, 
they  merely  understood  that  a  grant  would  be  made  of 
some  two  hundred  acres,  and  when  it  was  afterwards  ex- 
plained to  them  that  such  a  space  would  not  be  propor- 
tionate to  the  establishment  and  expenditure  proposed  by 
the  bishop,  their  views  on  the  subject  were  considerably 
altered.  They  strongly  objected  to  a  sale  of  one  thousand 
acres  of  the  land,  even  though  the  proceeds  were  to  be  in- 
vested for  their  benefit.  They  asserted  that  the  island 
was  incontestably  their  own,  and  had  been  formally  made 
over  to  them  in  a  paper  of  cession,  read  and  given  to  their 
magistrate  on  their  first  arrival,  by  Captain  Freemantle. 
There  is  much  doubt  and  mystery  with  regard  to  this 
document.  Were  it  not  for  the  testimony  of  the  chief 
magistrate  and  councillors,  we  should  be  inclined  to  con- 
sider it  altogether  mythical,  as  it  can  not  be  produced,  and 
no  copy  of  it  is  extant  in  the  archives  of  the  colonial  of- 
fice. Sir  William  Denison,  in  a  letter  to  the  author,  states 
that  he  has  no  recollection  of  it,  and  he  can  not  believe 
that  so  "judicious"  an  officer  as  Captain  Freemantle 
would  have  made  any  unauthorized  cession.  We  may 
add  to  this  that  in  a  letter  written  by  Captain  Freemantle 
at  the  time  of  the  removal,  he  advises  that  the  Govern- 
ment should  be  "  urged  "  to  refuse  the  admittance  of  other 
settlers.  "  Their  lordships  will  observe  that  the  islanders 
express  a  hope  that  they  may  be  allowed  to  live  on  Nor- 
folk Island  in  the  same  seclusion  from  the  rest  of  the 
world  as  they  have  hitherto  done  at  Pitcairn,  and  it  is  im- 


TROUBLES  ON  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  317 

possible  for  any  one  who  has  been  an  eye-witness  of  the 
exemplary  conduct  and  the  pious  single-minded  character 
of  these  innocent  people,  not  to  urge  a  compliance  with  a 
request  so  natural  and  so  reasonable." 

In  addition  to  this,  Mr.  Toup  Nicolas,  Her  Majesty's 
consul  at  Raiatea,  had  made  known,  two  years  previously, 
to  the  Pitcairn  Islanders  that  Norfolk  Island  might  not 
be  ceded  to  them,  and  in  a  public  letter  he  observed : 

"Kaiatea,  July  5th,  1854. 
".  .  .  .  While  communicating  this  intelligence  to 
you,  I  am  at  the  same  time  to  acquaint  you  that  you  will 
be  pleased  to  understand  that  Norfolk  Island  can  not  *  be 
ceded'  to  the  Pitcairn  Islanders,  but  that  grants  will  be 
made  of  allotments  of  land  to  the  different  families,  and  I 
am  desired  further  to  make  known  to  you  that  it  is  not  at 
present  intended  to  allow  any  other  class  of  settlers  to  re- 
side or  occupy  land  on  the  island." 

The  most  probable  conclusion  seems  to  be  that  some 
formal  document  was  read  to  the  immigrants  on  their  first 
arrival  at  Norfolk  Island,  but  they  did  not  look  narrowly 
into  its  contents,  and  rather  viewed  it  as  interpreted  by 
those  who,  from  misconception  or  amiable  motives,  desired 
to  represent  their  prospects  in  the  brightest  possible  col- 
ors. The  simple  Pitcairners  were  not  the  only  people 
who  had  been  deluded  by  a  State  grant,*  an  insecure  kind 

*  It  is  possible  that  many  persons  who,  like  the  Pitcairners,  did  not  per- 
fectly understand  the  character  of  State  grants,  would  have  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  reconcile  the  tenor  of  the  following  dispatch  with  the  directions 
given  to  Lieutenant  Gregorie,  to  divide  the  whole  of  the  island  among 
their  families,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  definite  reservation  for  public 
purposes  : 

Sir  William  Denison  to  the  Eight  Hon.  Lord  J.  Eussell. 

"Government-house,  Sydney,  September  3d,  1855. 
"It  would  in  my  opinion  be  advisable,  at  all  events  for  the  present,  to 
prohibit  all  grants  or  sales  of  land  to  other  than  the  race  now  about  to  in- 


318  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

of  title  liable  to  be  rescinded  or  modified  at  any  moment, 
with  very  little  consideration  for  the  real  or  sentimental 
grievances  of  the  sufferers.  It  was  perhaps  well  for  the 
little  community  that  they  were  not  more  inquisitive  and 
suspicious;  for  had  they  been  so,  they  would  probably 
never  have  consented  to  leave  their  original  home.  They 
would  have  decidedly  refused  to  be  made  the  subjects  of 
what  the  Governor  now  admitted  was  "  only  an  experi- 
ment," and  however  fatherly  his  intentions  might  have 
been,  would  have  objected  to  be  treated  as  John  Adams 
expresses  it,  "like  a  lot  of  boys."  Nothing,  however,  was 
now  left  but  to  succumb.  Many  looked  back  with  regret 
to  their  independence  at  their  own  dear  Pitcairn.  Their 
views,  as  contrasted  with  those  of  Sir  John  Young,  will  be 
best  understood  by  the  perusal  of  the  following  letters : 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr.  Nobbs  to  Admiral  Sir 
Fairfax  Moresby,  K.C.B. 

"May  3d,  1858. 

"I  trust  yourself  and  our  other  influential  friends  will 
countenance  my  opposing  so  very  undesirable  an  addition 
to  our  social  circle  as  a  hundred  or  two  of  heathens,  strong 
with  the  odor  of  unmitigated  depravity.* 

"  I  do  not  think,  my  honored  friend,  you  will  at  all  at- 
tribute this  opposition  to  a  want  of  sympathy  for  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth,  which  are  full  of  cruelty.     I  will  con- 


habit  this  small  island,  and  to  hold  out  as  little  encouragement  as  possible 
to  the  domestication  of  other  races,  be  they  white  or  colored,  among  them, 
until  the  effect  of  the  removal  of,  and  the  altered  circumstances  in  which 
they  are  about  to  be  placed,  can  be  clearly  seen. " 

*  Mr.  Nobbs's  apprehensions  of  the  results  of  such  an  introduction  were 
not  wholly  groundless,  though  happily  not  in  this  case  realized.  "  I  have 
heard,"  writes  Sir  William  Denison,  "enough  about  the  pupils  brought 
from  the  South  Sea  Islands  to  New  Zealand,  to  make  me  in  no  way  anx- 
ious to  have  them  introduced  among  the  simple-minded  Pitcairn  Island- 
ers." 


TROUBLES  ON  NORFOLK  ISLAND.  319 

tribute  cheerfully  of  my  substance,  or  in  any  other  feasible 
way  assist  in  promoting  the  entrance  of  the  "Word  of  Life 
into  the  regions  of  Moloch ;  but  the  evils  which  will  arise 
from  the  personal  introduction  of  an  incarnate  code  of 
idolatry  and  degradation  among  us,  are  so  unmistakably 
palpable,  that  I  may  not  yield  even  to  the  eloquent  argu- 
ments of  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Pat- 
teson,  the  bishop's  chaplain,  is,  I  believe,  going  to  remain  at 
one  of  the  islands  for  a  few  months ;  perhaps  this  will  open 
an  effectual  door  for  future  operations,  if  it  please  God." 

In  a  dispatch,  dated  May  25th,  1866,  from  the  Right 
Honorable  E.  Card  well  to  His  Excellency  Sir  John  Young, 
it  appears  that  the  colonial  secretary  did  not  disapprove 
of  strangers  settling  on  Norfolk  Island,  and  was  strongly 
of  opinion  that  the  establishment  of  a  college  and  mission 
would  prevent  undesirable  persons  remaining,  but  desired 
that  nothing  should  be  done  that  might  seem  unfair  to  the 
Pitcairn  people. 

Extract  from  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs's  Letter  to  Admiral 
Moresby. 

"  I  have  received  a  dispatch  from  Sir  John  Young,  con- 
taining the  startling  intelligence  that  Bishop  Patteson  is 
to  have  one  thousand  acres  of  land  (by  purchase)  for  the 
formation  of  a  Melanesian  college.  We  are  all  astound- 
ed at  this  somewhat  arbitrary  proceeding,  but  have  con- 
cluded that  it  is  better  to  succumb  to  this  innovation 
rather  than  have  a  dozen  or  two  adventurers  with  their 
families  inflicted  upon  us — shrewd,  grasping  men  and  wom- 
en, who  will  strive  to  get  the  upper  hand.  It  seems  Sir 
John  Young  is  determined  to  raise  a  revenue,  and  for  that 
purpose  is  disposing  of  allotments  (under  the  authority  of 
the  Home  Government,  as  His  Excellency  asserts),  but  to 
what  extent  we  are  not  informed;  but  this  much  we  are 
plainly  told,  '  That  nothing  whatever  beyond  our  fifty- 
acre  allotments  belongs  to  us ;  neither  the  sheep  nor  the 


320  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

ground  on  which  the  sheep  feed — all  is  Government 
property,  and  may  be  sold  or  otherwise  disposed  of  as 
seemeth  best  to  the  Government  or  the  Governor ;  I  know 
not  at  present  which.  Surely  it  was  not  with  this  un- 
derstanding we  left  Pitcairn." 

His  Excellency  Sir  John  Young  to  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs. 

"  Government- house,  Sydney,  August  23d,  186G. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Nobbs, — I  have  before  me  your  letter 
of  June  14th,  which  I  received  on  the  8th  instant.  I  am 
glad  to  hear  that  so  large  a  quantity  as  two  tons  of  cheese 
was  produced  upon  the  island,  and  hope  it  met  a  good 
market.  Bishop  Patteson  told  me  some  years  ago  that  he 
would  endeavor  to  turn  the  attention  of  the  islanders  to 
the  production  of  cheese,  as  well  suited  to  the  locality  and 
likely  to  be  remunerative. 

"  It  is  satisfactory  to  find  that  the  soil  is  being  cultiva- 
ted, in  view  to  the  hoped-for  visits  of  American  whalers 
seeking  supplies.  Their  wants  and  those  of  other  vessels 
render  the  primitive  isolation  practicable  at  Pitcairn  im- 
practicable at  Norfolk  Island.  What  remains,  then,  is  for 
the  islanders  to  turn  to  the  best  account  the  situation 
in  which  their  lot  is  cast,  and  derive  advantage  from  the 
customers  who  present  themselves  to  remunerate  industry 
by  buying  its  produce. 

"  I  am  well  content  to  hear  from  you,  as  well  as  from 
the  chief  magistrate,  so  complete  an  approval  of  the  set- 
tlement which  Bishop  Patteson  contemplates.  As  regards 
the  extent  of  land  proposed  for  the  occupation  of  the  Me- 
lanesian  mission,  it  is  obvious  that  the  bishop  could  not 
involve  himself  in  the  expense  of  building  and  laying  out 
plans  for  a  permanent  head  station  and  centre  of  opera- 
tions, unless  he  had  a  property  large  enough  to  meet  the 
proposed  future  requirements  of  his  benevolent  and  truly 
Christian  enterprise. 

"  On  the  other  points  you  mentioned,  viz.,  as  to  your  ap- 
prehensions as  regards  a  promiscuous  immigration,  or  even 
the  admission  of  a  few  selected  settlers  to  teach  husband- 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1866.  321 

ry,  etc.,  I  can  give  you  full  satisfaction.  The  former,  a 
promiscuous  immigration,  the  throwing  the  island  open, 
selling  land  to  any  comers  that  might  offer  a  good  price 
for  it,  was  not  a  scheme  contemplated  by  me  at  any  time, 
nor,  so  far  as  I  know,  entertained  in  any  quarter. 

"As  to  the  latter,  the  sending  a  few  well-chosen  settlers 
to  teach  husbandry,  etc.,  I  received  the  sanction  of  the 
Secretary  of  State  to  send  a  few  selected  settlers  of  a  class 
likely  to  live  in  harmony  with  the  islanders,  but  I  do  not 
mean  to  act  upon  the  sanction ;  and  I  shall  leave  it  over 
till  a  future  time,  and  for  the  consideration  of  some  succes- 
sor of  mine  hereafter.  Bishop  Patteson  counselled  delay 
in  this  respect  in  a  spirit  most  friendly  to  the  islanders, 
and  I  readily  concede  so  much  to  your  and  his  wishes  and 
advice. 

"  The  bishop  is  to  pay  a  good  round  sum  for  the  land, 
and  this  sum  will  be  carefully  invested,  and  the  accruing 
interest  applied  annually,  as  far  as  it  will  go,  to  the  pay- 
ment of  your  salary,  that  of  the  chief  magistrate,  the  cost 
of  medicines,  flags,  and  other  necessary  matters 

"As  regards  the  island  becoming  too  thickly  populated, 
I  think  you  need  entertain  but  little  fear  of  that  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  It  is  so  fertile  that,  with  due  cultivation, 
it  would  easily  maintain  four  thousand  inhabitants,  and 
this  without  reference  to  the  occupations  which  might  be 
derived  from  commerce  and  the  wealth  of  your  fisheries, 
which  teem  all  around  the  coast.  Believe  me,  faithfully 
yours,  John  Young." 

Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  to  His  Excellency  Sie  John  Young. 

"Norfolk  Island,  October  5th,  1866. 
"Honoeed  Sie  and  Feiend, — Your  very  kind  letter, 
dated  August  23d,  I  have  just  read,  and  its  urbanity  is  as- 
suredly a  cause  for  unqualified  gratitude  throughout  this 
highly-favored  community.  As  Captain  Hope  leaves  in 
an  hour  or  two,  I  can  not  now  advert  to  any  portion  of 
Your  Excellency's  letter,  but  I  hope  to  have  the  opportu- 
nity ere  long  of  assuring  you,  my  honored  friend,  what  a 

14* 


322  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

burden  your  valued  assurances  have  removed  from  the 
minds  of  the  community  generally,  and  myself  in  especial. 
I  trust  it  will  be  abundantly  apparent  to  Your  Excellency, 
ere  you  quit  this  hemisphere,  that  your  continued  solici- 
tude for  our  welfare  is  productive  of  desirable  results. 
Bishop  Patteson  left  us  on  Tuesday  for  Auckland ;  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Palmer  and  sixteen  Melanesians  remain  to  com- 
mence operations  in  agriculture,  etc." 

Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  to  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby. 

"  Norfolk  Island,  October  16th,  1866. 

"  My  honored  and  ever  kind  Friend, — Grace,  mercy, 
and  peace  be  to  and  upon  yourself,  and  all  whom  you  love. 

"Your  valued  and  valuable  letters  in  triplicate  have 
been  duly  received  at  their  several  periods;  that  from 
Malvern  on  the  13th  instant,  but  they  have  been  only  a 
few  weeks  apart.  Last  evening,  at  a  public  meeting  con- 
vened for  the  purpose,  I  read  them,  in  conjunction  with  a 
letter  from  Sir  John  Young,  to  the  whole  community ;  and 
such  blessings  and  cheerings  for  the  'good  old  admiral,' 
could  you  have  heard  them,  would  have  convinced  a  more 
skeptical  cosmopolite  than  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  that  gen- 
uine gratitude  and  unsophisticated  love  and  respect  are 
still  in  full  bearing  among  the  ci-devant  Pitcairn  Islanders. 
I  need  not  say  how  proudly  I  take  my  stand  among  com- 
modores, captains,  and  other  excellent  R.N.  friends,  and 
recapitulate  the  unfailing  and  unprecedented  sympathy 
expressed  by  yourself,  your  family,  and  honored  Sir  Thom- 
as, for  this  community  in  general,  and  myself  in  particular. 

"Your  representations  to  the  Secretary  of  State  have 
been  unmistakably  attended  to,  as  you  will  see  by  the  in- 
closed letter  from  Sir  John  Young ;  but  you  must  not  mis- 
understand what  His  Excellency  says  concerning  the  ap- 
proval of  the  magistrate  and  myself,  in  respect  of  the  elev- 
en hundred  acres  of  land  obtained  by  Bishop  Patteson. 
The  gist  of  the  matter,  as  concerns  myself,  the  magistrate, 
and  other  members  of  the  community,  is  simply  this : 
Soon  after  the  death  of  my  son  Edwin,  the  bishop  was  re- 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1866.  323 

marking  that  he  should  be  glad  to  find  some  eligible  place 
for  establishing  a  branch  institution,  where  some  of  the 
best  of  his  scholars  might  sojourn  during  the  winter 
months.  After  some  consultation  with  those  who  I  well 
knew  had  (in  the  words  of  Dibdin)  '  a  heart  that  can  feel 
for  another,'  I  advised  the  bishop  to  apply  for  some  two 
hundred  acres  of  land,  whereon  he  might  build  the  supple- 
mentary college.  The  bishop  accordingly  did  apply,  and 
obtained  a  grant  from  Sir  John  Young.  At  that  period 
His  Excellency  was  in  an  angry  mood  with  the  communi- 
ty, by  reason  that  a  second  party  of  our  people  had.  re- 
turned to  Pitcairn,  and  actually  meditated  sending  down 
a  dozen  or  so  German  families,  or  else  selling  a  quantity  of 
allotments  to  any  families  (outsiders)  that  might  be  dis- 
posed to  purchase  them,  alleging  at  the  same  time  that  he 
was  authorized  by  the  Home  Government,  and  that  it  was, 
moreover,  necessary  that  sales  should  be  made  in  order  to 
originate  a  revenue  for  the  use  of  the  island.  On  hearing 
this,  we  wrote  to  yourself  and  Mr.  Mills  on  the  subject, 
and  Bishop  Patterson  informed  us  subsequently  that  he 
had  seen  Sir  John  Young ;  and  he,  Sir  John,  had  consent- 
ed to  postpone  sending  immigrants  hither  for  a  season. 
Affairs  went  on  as  usual  for  some  time,  when  a  letter  from 
the  governor  was  received  by  the  chief  magistrate,  desir- 
ing him  to  reserve  ten  specified  allotments  (one  thousand 
acres)  until  he  received  further  instructions.  Shortly  af- 
terwards the  bishop  arrived,  and  informed  us  that  he  had 
purchased  the  land  in  question  at  the  rate  of  three  pounds 
an  acre,  and,  moreover,  that  the  Home  Government  had 
sanctioned  the  sale.  You,  my  honest  friend,  can  easily  im- 
agine our  astonishment  at  this  proceeding  of  the  Home 
authorities  in  thus  alienating  from  us,  nolens  volens,  so 
large  a  part  of  what  had  been  most  graciously  guaranteed 
to  ourselves  and  our  families  some  ten  years  before.  We 
had  several  public  meetings  on  the  subject,  but  the  bishop 
assured  us,  on  his  arrival  (and  the  governor  corroborated 
the  assurance  in  his  letter),  that  the  Home  Government 
had  authorized  the   concession.      And   so,  after  a  good 


324  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

deal  of  wishing  ourselves  back  at  Pitcairn  again,  etc.,  etc., 
we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  the  land  must  be  alien- 
ated, it  is  better  for  the  bishop  to  occupy  it  than  a  dozen 
or  two  families,  for  whose  good  conduct  there  could  be  no 
guaranty.  And  so,  I  suppose,  we  had  better  say  no  more 
about  it.  Your  benevolent  representations  have  been,  in 
their  result,  of  essential  service,  and  will  assuredly  act  as 
a  refresher  to  whomsoever  may  fill  the  office  of  Secretary 
for  the  Colonies ;  and,  although  the  loss  to  us  is  a  serious 
one,  still  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  worthy  bishop's  dwell- 
ing in  our  midst  will  be  of  great  benefit,  and  that  all  ri- 
valry (whether  religious  or  secular)  will  be  studiously 
avoided. 

"Although  the  community  has  rallied,  in  consequence 
of  a  successful  wThaling  season,  and  the  sale  of  a  good 
quantity  of  cheese,  from  recent  scarcity  of  apparel,  etc., 
dear  Mary's  box  will  be  looked  for  with  anxiety,  and  re- 
ceived with  heartfelt  gratitude ;  and  by  none  more  than 
by  my  own  family You  are  supposed,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  to  have  danced  at  the  queen's  ball,  for  our 
young  ones  can  not  imagine  the  possibility  of  going  to  a 
ball  and  not  dancing,  and  that,  of  a  certainty,  Lady  Mores- 
by would  be  your  first  partner.     Ever  gratefully  yours, 

"  George  H.  Nobbs." 

Letter  from  the  Earl  of  Harrowby  to  Admiral  Sir  F. 
Moresby. 

"London,  April  6th,  1867. 
"  Dear  Admiral  Moresby, — I  have  been  much  interest- 
ed in  the  papers  which  you  have  sent  me  on  the  subject  of 
the  Pitcairn  Islanders.  Their  case  is  so  peculiar,  that  I 
feel  fearful  of  interfering  without  a  fuller  knowledge  of  all 
the  circumstances,  and  of  all  the  means  of  forming  an  opin- 
ion as  to  what  is  really  for  their  benefit.  I  do  not  see  that 
the  fee-simple*  of  their  island  was  ever  promised  them,  nor 

*  It  seems  to  have  been  their  own  fault  that  they  had  not  the  fee-simple. 
Sir  William  Denison  directed  Lieutenant  Gregorie  to  divide  among  them 


NOMFOLK  ISLAND,  \m.  325 

a  permanent  exclusion  of  all  other  settlers.  The  measure 
was  always  as  an  experiment,  and  the  work  of  carrying  it 
out  was  clearly  to  be  adopted  from  time  to  time  accord- 
ing to  the  results.  No  doubt  the  whole  process  was  to  be 
made  subordinate  to  their  benefit,  but  was  left  to  experi- 
ence to  decide. 

"  Now,  here  it  is  that  I  feel  my  incompetence.  I  do  not 
know  what  is  best  for  them  under  present  circumstances, 
and  in  this  condition  feel  I  must  repose  confidence  in  those 
who  have  a  better  means  of  forming  a  wise  judgment  than 
I  have,  and  who  seem  to  show  a  deep  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare and  full  appreciation  of  the  peculiarities  of  their  posi- 
tion and  wants.  I  must  think  the  successive  governors, 
Denison  and  Young,  seem  to  have  been  really  desirous  to 
befriend  them ;  and  with  full  knowledge  of  their  case. 
The  only  point  on  which  I  might  doubt  myself,  is  whether 
it  is  desirable  to  give  to  an  extraneous  element,  however 
respectable,  so  large  a  share  in  the  authority  of  the  island 
as  the  sale  or  grant  of  one  thousand  acres  would  convey. 
To  this  specific  point  I  will  call  such  attention  as  I  can. 
I  beg  to  return  the  papers,  and  to  thank  you  for  having  re- 
called my  attention  to  a  subject  so  interesting.  Believe 
me,  dear  Admiral  Moresby,  yours  faithfully, 

"  Hareowby." 

In  a  letter  from  John  Buffett  (one  of  the  oldest  mem- 
bers of  the  Pitcairn  colony)  to  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Car- 
narvon, Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies,  he  observes  : 

"  I  wish  your  lordship  to  notice  that  the  chief  cause  of 
our  removing  from  Pitcairn  Island  was  the  scarcity  of 
land.  The  community  have  no  objections  to  offer  against 
the  establishment  of  the  head-quarters  of  the  Melanesian 

all  the  land  except  five  hundred  acres  required  for  public  purposes,  and 
two  hundred  acres  for  church  and  school.  They  preferred  to  keep  the 
land  in  common,  and  to  have  only  fifty-acre  grants  made  to  them  indi- 
vidually. On  Sir  William's  visit  to  the  island,  he  confirmed  in  fee-simple 
these  desired  fifty-acre  allotments. 


326  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY 

mission  in  this  island,  with  three  or  four  hundred  acres 
of  land,  but  would  wish  respectfully  to  protest  against 
the  sale  of  one  thousand  acres,  or  one-tenth  of  the  island. 
I  would  also  solicit  your  lordship's  attention  to  the  fact, 
that  several  of  our  newly-married  people  have  applied  for 
grants  at  various  times  within  the  last  three  or  four  years, 
and  have  not  yet  received  them ;  while  strangers  with 
money  have  stepped  in  and  bought  lands,  and  our  people 
still  left  in  doubt  whether  they  will  get  a  grant  or  not." 

John  Adams  wrote  to  Admiral  Moresby  somewhat  to  the 
same  effect.  He  says  that  they  had  found  the  English  im- 
migrants "  worshippers  at  the  shrine  of  the  golden  calf." 

The  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  to  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby, 

K.C.B. 

"  Norfolk  Island,  May  24th,  1867. 

"We  have  now  two  clergymen  in  charge  of  the  Mela- 
nesian  establishment  at  the  '  Long  Ridge,'  some  three  miles 
from  us.  Of  course,  they  do  not  at  present  interfere  with 
us,  though  one  of  them,  an  M.A.  and  fellow  of  his  college, 
comes  down  occasionally  on  the  Sabbath-day,  and  takes 
part  of  the  duty  as  curate.  His  name  is  Codrington,  a 
near  relative  of  the  late  and  present  admirals  of  that  name. 
He  is  a  well-bred,  gentlemanly  person,  and,  as  may  be  sup- 
posed, we  sail  together  in  a  ship-shape  manner.  The  bish- 
op is  to  return  (D.V)  early  in  September,  and  then  I  sup- 
pose we  shall  have  an  accession  of  priests  and  deacons,  and 
a  multitude  of  neophytes.  The  visit  of  another  bishop 
was  contemplated,  but  the  Primate  of  New  Zealand  is  on 
the  point  of  leaving  for  England,  by  invitation  of  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury. 

"  I  have  just  heard  that  Sir  John  Young  is  to  be  relieved 
by  the  Marquis  of  Normanby ;  for  personal  kindness  and 
many  favors  I  owe  Sir  John  a  fund  of  gratitude,  but  His 
Excellency's  plans  for  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  a 
general  sense  were  sadly  Utopian,  of  which  eleven  hundred 
acres  to  the  Melanesian  mission  is  the  climax.     I  heartily 


NOBFOLK  ISLAND,  1867.  327 

wish  Lord  Nornianby  may  be  as  kindly  disposed,  but  more 
conservative  as  respects  the  lot  of  our  inheritance.  I  am 
again  busily  engaged  in  the  school,  but  I  have  my  young- 
est son  Sidney  as  the  principal.  He  receives  forty  pounds 
a  year,  myself  twenty-five  pounds,  and  a  lad  of  sixteen, 
of  good  abilities,  twelve  pounds ;  so  that  we  now  have  our 
college  in  full  working  order  for  seventy-seven  pounds  per 
annum,  but  I  doubt  whether  we  should  be  able  to  collect 
that  regularly,  as  there  is  little  or  no  demand  for  our  ex- 
ports in  the  colonies,  and  ships  rarely  visit  us.  If  the 
whaling  fails  this  season,  our  people  will  be  embarrassed, 
as  most  of  the  requisites  for  the  occasion  are  purchased  on 
credit ;  but  if  successful,  they  will  be  all  right  for  a  time. 
"  I  am  not  complaining ;  we  have  enough  to  eat  of 
meat,  potatoes,  and  maize,  and  comfortable  houses  to  live 
in,  but  beyond  this  the  community  generally  are  in  scanty 
plight.  But  times  will  mend,  I  doubt  not.  Believe  me, 
my  dear  admiral,  yours  ever  faithfully,  G.  ISTobbs." 

Sir  John  Young  to  the  Duke  of  Buckingham. 

"Government-house,  Sydney,  23d  November,  1867. 
"Having  reference  to  the  request  on  the  part  of  the 
Norfolk  Island  community  in  Mr.  Bates's  favor,  communi- 
cated to  me  by  Mr.  F.  Nobbs,  I  have  issued  a  grant  to  Mr. 
Bates  of  an  allotment,  and  received  payment  from  him  at 
the  rate  of  two  pounds  an  acre,  which  sum  will  be  duly 
carried  to  the  account  of  the  principal  now  about  to  be  in- 
vested for  the  benefit  of  the  islanders.  Mr.  Bates  is  an 
American.  He  owned  a  small  trading  schooner.  The  isl- 
anders adopted  and  pressed  him  to  remain  with  them,  and 
trade  on  his  and  their  joint  account  from  Norfolk  Island 
to  the  different  adjacent  ports.  On  the  ground  of  their 
adoption,  he  applied  to  me  for  a  grant  of  land.  This  I  re- 
fused, as  free  grants  of  land  were  reserved  for  the  Pit- 
cairners,  but  I  allowed  him  to  buy  an  allotment  at  the 
rate  of  two  pounds  an  acre.  The  money  has  been  added 
to  the  capital  accumulated  to  supply  a  public  revenue,  and 
for  the  benefit  of  the  people.    Under  present  circumstances 


328  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

the  money  is  of  more  advantage  to  the  community  than 
the  land.  From  this  statement  of  facts,  Your  Grace  will 
see  that  Mr.  Bates's  residence  in  the  island  is  not  of  my 
causing,  but  of  the  deliberate  choice  of  the  islanders  more 
than  once  communicated  to  me.  He  is  an  active  man  of 
good  character,  and  I  think  well  of  him,  as  stated  in  my 
dispatch  to  Mr.  Card  well  of  18  th  of  November,  1864.  He 
is  at  the  present  time  engaged  in  navigating  a  small  trad- 
ing vessel  on  shares  with  a  crew  of  the  islanders,  his  own 
craft  having  been  unfortunately  wrecked.     .     .     .     ." 

"  When,  some  years  ago,  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  day 
applied  to  me  with  the  request  that  I  would  look  out  for 
husbands  for  several  young  damsels,  who  were  growing 
up  without  a  proper  supply  of  the  article,  I  found  it  beyond 
my  power  to  meet  the  demand — I  could  not  get  a  single 
eligible  offer.  Steady  industrious  young  men  would  not 
give  up  the  certainty  of  good  wages,  and  the  chances  of 
rising  in  life  in  the  Australian  colonies,  for  all  the  charms 
of  c  some  soft  savage  and  her  island  cave,'  great  though 
their  charms  undoubtedly  are  in  youth,  and  enhanced  in 
this  instance  not  merely  by  a  cave,  but  by  a  well-built 
cottage,  and  an  allotment  of  fifty  acres  of  as  fertile  land  as 
can  anywhere  be  found.  I  failed  entirely  in  providing  the 
husbands  wanted.  No  applicant  that  I  could  approve 
presented  himself.  Several  of  a  different  stamp  applied 
from  time  to  time  for  leave  to  proceed  to  the  island,  but 
in  no  case  did  I  accede  to  the  application. 

"And  now  to  sum  up.  How  does  the  case  stand? 
What  are  the  conclusions  to  be  stated  after  the  twelve 
years'  trial  ?  Excepting  the  school-master,  Rossiter,  whose 
location  on  the  island  was  suggested  by  the  Duke  of  New- 
castle, the  tradesmen  who  were  sent  by  Sir  William  Deni- 
son  to  teach  trades,  and  the  Melanesian  mission,  whose  set- 
tlement appeared  to  me  a  paramount  advantage,  not  to 
say  necessity,  for  the  good  of  the  islanders,  not  a  single 
immigrant  has  been  introduced  by  authority.  The  pecul- 
iar social  polity,  on  which  so  much  stress  is  laid,  has  not 
been   tampered   with  or  altered  in  the  slightest  degree. 


THE  MATRIMONIAL   QUESTION.  329 

Bishop  Patteson  has  given  ample  assurances  that  he  will 
not  interfere  with  it,  nor  assume  any  part  whatever  in  the 
government  of  the  island.  He  will  confine  himself  within 
the  wire  fences  that  inclose  the  cultivation-paddocks  of 
the  Melanesian  missionaries.  Outside  these  fences  there  is 
ample  space  left  for  carrying  on  the  Pitcairn  polity,  as 
well  as  for  supporting  the  community,  even  if  increased 
tenfold,  in  abundance  ;  inasmuch  as,  out  of  the  eight  thou- 
sand acres  that  remain,  the  members  of  the  community 
have  never  in  one  year  cultivated  so  much  as  forty.  Iso- 
lation, it  is  true,  such  as  was  practicable  at  Pitcairn,  does 
not  and  can  not  exist  at  Norfolk  Island;  neither  do  the 
people  seem  to  desire  it.  The  contact  with  the  world  ex- 
poses them  to  temptation,  as  Sir  William  Denison  predict- 
ed. Against  temptation  I  have  suggested  such  safeguards 
as  I  deemed  available,  and,  for  some  of  the  requirements 
of  the  people,  such  provision  as  was  within  my  reach.  I 
am  persuaded  that  as  time  rolls  on,  and  the  results  develop 
themselves,  the  friends  of  the  Pitcairners  will  remember 
with  gratitude  that  during  my  administration  every  obli- 
gation on  the  part  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  has  been 
scrupulously  observed.  A  fund,  small  indeed,  but  suffi- 
cient if  judiciously  administered,  has  been  provided  for  va- 
rious public  needs,  and  a  good  example  has  been  placed 
before  the  people's  eyes — an  example  which  they  can  not 
ignore,  and  which  they  have  only  to  follow  in  order  to  in- 
sure comfort  and  independence." 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  Admiral  Sir  F. 
Moresby  gives  a  lady's  view  of  the  policy  of  isolation  : 

"  You  will  not,  I  trust,  my  dearest  papa,  give  yourself 
any  more  blame  respecting  the  islanders,  as  they  have  in- 
termarried with  strangers,  against  what  would  have  been 
your  consent.  You  can  not  now  expect  to  keep  them  iso- 
lated, and  if  the  husband  of  this  young  woman,  or  women, 
chooses  to  have  his  friends  come  to  visit  him  for  a  month 
or  months,  who  is  to  deny  him,  or  prevent  other  girls  from 
marrying  ?     One  interloper  allowed,  and  the  thin  end  of 


330  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

the  wedge  is  driven  home.  This  they  undoubtedly  have 
permitted,  and  it  will  be  vain  for  you  or  any  one  else,  even 
Mr.  Nobbs  himself,  to  try  and  stop  the  small  gap  through 
which,  ere  long,  the  full  tide  will  presently  find  room  to 
sweep.  Besides,  is  it  not  natural  the  young  girls  should 
be  drawn  towards  the  white  race  and  strangers?  It 
seems  almost  a  pity  to  prevent  it.  They  naturally  think 
less  of  those  among  whom  they  have  spent  their  whole 
life,  and  they  yearn  for  novelty.  Mr.  Nobbs  and  Adams 
may  think  it  wiser  and  more  prudent,  but  I  doubt,  if  a 
show  of  hands  were  taken  on  the  island,  that  the  majority 
would  be  for  isolation.  And  if  there  had  been  some  law- 
yer friend  to  inspect  the  Articles  of  Cession  before  they 
went  out,  we  should  have  known  how  they  stood  with  re- 
spect to  unlimited  possession. 

"  You  are  indeed  dealing  unjustly  by  yourself  in  self-ac- 
cusations. What  we  understood  and  what  Government 
really  meant  are  two  widely  differing  points.  And,  as  I 
before  said,  I  shall  never  think  the  young  people  will  con- 
sider their  views  fairly  represented  by  the  old  ones.  It  is 
not  natural,  and  time  will  make  it  plain  even  to  you.  They 
are  virtually  prisoners,  poor  girls,  and  may  not  marry  ex- 
cept among  their  own  people,  and  that  alone  is  enough  to 
make  them  rebel.     Your  loving  daughter,  M.  W." 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1865-1867 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Privations  of  the  Pitcairn  Colony. — Eemarkable  Whaling-adventure. — 
Progress  of  the  Melanesian  Mission  and  College  on  Norfolk  Island. — 
Account  of  the  Families  who  returned  to  Pitcairn  Island,  by  Captain 
Montresor,  R.N.,  and  Sir  Went  worth  Dilke. 

Communication  with  Norfolk  Island  had  now  been  un- 
certain for  several  years,  causing  the  islanders  to  suffer 
both  privation  and  anxiety.  The  American  war  had  pre- 
vented many  of  the  whalers  from  prosecuting  the  fishery 
in  the  South  Seas,  and  touching  -at  Norfolk  for  their  usual 
supplies  of  vegetables ;  and  in  the  year  1865  not  more 
than  thirty  pounds'  worth  of  produce  had  been  exported. 
Under  these  circumstances  the  islanders  were  reduced  to 
great  difficulties,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  extract  from  a 
letter  written  by  Mr.  Nobbs,  and  dated — 

"  Norfolk  Island,  September  12th,  1865. 
"Your  box  arrived  most  opportunely,  and  you  may 
thoroughly  admit  the  assertion,  for  never  during  the  last 
thirty  years  have  my  own  family,  or  the  community  gen- 
erally, been  so  badly  off  for  wearing-apparel.  I  do  not 
include  myself,  for,  thanks  to  the  admiral,  Sir  Thomas  Ac- 
land,  and  other  friends,  my  rigging  is  still  pretty  good ; 
but  for  the  rest  of  the  community — especially  the  women 
and  children — a  great  want  of  clothing  has  been  experi- 
enced for  more  than  two  years.  Window-curtains,  and 
other  vestiges  of  improving  civilization,  have  been  con- 
verted into  wearing-apparel  during  the  winter  just  gone 
by.  Another  reason  why  such  destitution  prevails  is, 
that  the  plant  which  produces  the  material  for  manufac- 
turing the  tappa,  or  island  cloth,  will  not  thrive  here,  so 
that  the   women   can  not   manufacture  the   comfortable 


332  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

bed-clothing  so  necessary  in  such  isolated  places  as  this. 
I  repeat,  it  is  not  from  indolence  or  want  of  care  that 
these  privations  are  at  the  present  moment  so  general, 
but  the  poverty  of  demand  for  the  island  produce." 

Rev.  Mr.  Nobbs  to  Adm'l  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  K.C.B. 
(Extract.) 

"Norfolk  Island,  December  23d,  1867. 

"December  26th. — A  tranquil  Christmas,  with  some  of 
your  loved  ones  beneath  your  roof-tree,  is  the  wish  of 
your  humble  and  grateful  friends  in-  this  our  pleasant 
home,  and  may  you  be  gratified  to  know  that  we  cherish 
with  unabated  love  and  respect  our  memories  of  the 
'good  old  admiral.' 

"  We  had  a  cheerful  Christmas,  very  similar  to  those 
of  years  gone  by,  but  I  was  so  fatigued  by  the  services 
of  the  day  (three)  that  I  was  glad  to  go  to  bed  at  six 
o'clock — an  hour  before  sunset.     .     .     .     .'    ." 

"  I  am  fast  drifting  towards  death's  bay.  You  will  be- 
lieve me,  I  am  sure,  when  I  say  I  will  not  quit  my  post 
till  body  or  mind  gives  way ;  but  the  fact  can  not  be 
concealed  from  others,  as  well  as  myself,  that  I  am  rapid- 
ly becoming  a  very  old  man.  My  good  wife  is  also  fre- 
quently an  invalid.  She  sends  her  Christian  greeting, 
and  New  Year's  best  wishes  to  Lady  Moresby  and  your- 
self, and  earnestly  assures  you  both  that,  while  life  lasts, 
she  will  never  cease  to  remember  with  gratitude  your  la- 
bor of  love  and  Christian  sympathy  for  the  Pitcairn  peo- 
ple in  general,  and  her  own  family  in  particular. 

"January  1st,  1868, — A  happy  New  Year  to  you,  dear 
Sir  Fairfax  and  Lady  Moresby.     Ever  gratefully  yours, 

"  G.  R.  F.  (Nobbs)." 

Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs   to  the  Rev.  G.  D.  Gle^nie,  Secretary 
to  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge. 

"Norfolk  Island,  January  29th,  1868. 
"  We  are  going  on  in  our  usual  quiet  way,  increasing  in 
numbers,  but  not   greatly  improving   our  long-sustained 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1868.  333 

position  in  worldly  matters ;  having  at  all  times  a  good 
supply  of  food,  but  not  of  other  domestic  requirements, 
by  reason  that  ships  rarely  visit  us,  and  the  island  prod- 
uce is  not  demanded  in  the  colonies  of  New  Zealand  and 
Australia,  they  having  in  general  sufficient  for  their  own 
consumption.  Nevertheless,  we  may  not  complain,  being 
in  better  circumstances  than  thousands  even  in  dear  Old 
England.  We  at  this  moment  number  exactly  three 
hundred  persons,  and,  somewhat  singular,  are  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  of  either  sex.  The  births  last  year  were 
eighteen ;  deaths  four,  from  whooping-cough.  At  this 
time  the  community  is  in  good  health.  I  am  just  now, 
and  have  been  for  the  last  twelve  months,  very  fully  em- 
ployed, having,  besides  the  clerical  and  medical  duties,  to 
attend  the  school  daily,  the  Government  grant  being  re- 
scinded. 

"  There  are  ninety  children  being  educated,  and  the  par- 
ents pay  one  pound  a  year  for  each  child,  which  is  di- 
vided among  the  teachers,  four  in  number,  in  this  manner 
— forty  pounds  for  the  principal,  who  is  a  son  of  mine, 
twenty-five  pounds  for  the  next  in  rank,  which  is  myself, 
until  the  arrival  of  another  son,  whom  I  am  daily  expect- 
ing from  Sydney,  and  the  two  pupil  teachers  at  twelve 
pounds  and  six  pounds  respectively.  The  few  surplus 
pounds  are  expended  in  paper,  ink,  etc.  These  stipends 
are  far  too  small.  However,  the  school  may  not,  must 
not,  be  neglected,  although  I  must  be  school-teacher  un- 
til the  arrival  of  my  son  to  relieve  me  of  my  somewhat 
onerous  duties  in  this  department ;  for  my  threescore 
years  and  ten  are  beginning  to  weigh  heavily,  my  hearing 
being  especially  impaired,  the  result  of  an  attack  of  influ- 
enza last  year. 

"  Bishop  Patteson  is  making  great  progress  in  build- 
ing, fencing,  cultivating,  etc.  His  present  establishment 
consists  of  two  clergymen  in  full  orders,  two  deacons,  and 
two  students  from  St.  Augustine's  College  (England). 
His  neophytes  from  the  islands  amount  to  seventy,  several 
of  wh6m  are  females.     I  am  free  to  say  the  improvement 


334  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

of  these  hitherto  unmitigated  savages  is  really  surprising. 
4  St.  Barnabas  College '  is  about  three  miles  from  King- 
ston. The  '  native  boys '  seldom  come  among  us,  but  the 
bishop,  Mr.  Codrington  (his  lordship's  chaplain),  and  oth- 
ers of  the  clerical  party,  are  frequently  in  our  midst,  and 
generally  on  Sunday  afternoon  take  a  portion  of  the  serv- 
ice in  our  church,  but  not  at  all  interfering  with  my  ar- 
rangements. Of  course,  we  are  not  slow  to  proffer  them 
our  hospitality,  nor  they  backward  in  accepting  it,  and  in 
return  invitations  to  St.  Barnabas  are  frequently  and  as 
promptly  acceded  to.  I  am  most  desirous  this  kindly 
feeling  should  continue,  and  will  do  all  I  can  to  promote 
it.  An  ordination  took  place  on  St.  Thomas's  Day  of  one 
priest  and  two  deacons — all  English — belonging  to  the 
bishop's  establishment ;  it  was  solemnized  in  our  church, 
and  the  first  ever  witnessed  by  our  people.  I  read 
prayers,  Mr.  Codrington  preached,  and  we  then  took  our 
appointed  stations  on  each  side  of  the  bishop,  within  the 
communion-rails.  Afterwards,  assisted  by  the  newly  or- 
dained, the  holy  communion  was  administered  to  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  persons,  several  of  whom  were  Melane- 
sians  of  either  sex. 

"A  long  drought  has  rendered  food  somewhat  more 
scarce  than  usual,  but  we  have  recently  had  a  gracious 
rain,  and  are  able  now  to  plant  as  much  as  is  necessary. 
Another  difficulty  of  the  past  year  is  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
surmounted.  The  governor  offered  all  the  sheep  and  cat- 
tle termed  public  or  Government  property  to  the  com- 
munity at  a  stated  price  per  head,  which  was  agreed  to, 
and  with  what  little  money  they  had  on  hand,  the  wool 
of  last  shearing,  and  the  oil  taken  (one  hundred  and  forty 
barrels),  the  obligation  is  met,  or  nearly  so ;  and  now  all 
the  stock  on  the  island,  except  what  Bishop  Patteson  may 
introduce,  is  communal  property,  and  will,  I  think,  be  of 
great  benefit.  Sir  John  Young's  reason  for  thus  dispos- 
ing of  the  sheep  and  cattle  was  that  he  might  form  a  per- 
manent revenue,  which  is  to  be  applied  to  such  purposes 
as  shall  from  time  to  time  be  considered  beneficial  to  the 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1868.  335 

community.  In  this  matter  His  Excellency  has  shown  an 
earnest  desire  for  the  general  welfare. 

"I  should  be  most  grateful  for  a  few  school-maps  for 
the  instruction  of  the  elder  classes ;  in  short,  for  any  thing 
available  for  school  purposes.  May  I  ask  you,  my  respect- 
ed friend,  to  interest  yourself  in  this,  to  us  a  matter 
of  primary  importance.  It  is  rarely  I  get  a  letter  from 
England;  my  respected  friends  of  1852  have  nearly  all 
passed  away.  Admiral  Moresby,  Sir  Thomas  Acland,  Mr. 
Mills,  and  yourself,  are  all  that  remain  of  that  goodly 
number. 

"  I  have  yet  three  unmarried  children,  and  a  widowed 
daughter  with  one  child  dwelling  with  me,  and  twenty- 
five  grandchildren  frequently,  almost  daily,  visiting  me, 
so  that  there  is  little  probability  of  my  becoming  lone- 
some ;  besides,  my  dear  old  rib  is  as  much  enamored  of  a 
nursery  now,  as  when  our  own  little  ones  were  tumbling 
about  beneath  the  banyan-trees  at  Pitcairn.  The  worthy 
woman,  with  her  daughters,  send  their  Christian  regards 
to  Mrs.  Glennie,  and  your  household  generally.  That  the 
Father  of  mercies,  and  God  of  all  grace,  may  have  you  in 
His  holy  keeping,  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  yours  very  sin- 
cerely, George  H.  Nobbs. 

11  Rev.  J.  David  Glennie,  M. A." 

In  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  Admiral  Mores- 
by, John  Adams,  an  old  and  respected  member  of  the  Pit- 
cairn community,  bears  testimony  to  the  zeal  of  Mr.  Nobbs 
in  fulfilling  his  ministerial  duties.  The  writer  seems,  like 
most  of  the  islanders,  to  have  felt  an  undue  alarm  at  the 
establishment  of  the  Melanesian  college. 

The  people  happily  found  in  Bishop  Patteson  the  high 
principles  of  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman,  and  he  has  most 
strictly  adhered  to  the  condition  that  the  Pitcairn  colony 
should  in  no  way  be  interfered  with  by  the  clergy  of  the 
missionary  establishment  or  by  the  pupils.  At  the  same 
time,  whenever  they  applied  for  assistance  or  advice,  the 


336  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

bishop  has  promptly  afforded  both  with  the  utmost  kind- 
ness and  sympathy. 

John  Adams  to  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  K.C.B. 

"  Norfolk  Island,  September  28th,  1868. 
"  The  fever  has  quite  left  us,  not  without  laying  many 
of  our  friends  and  relatives  in  the  grave.  Many  of  us 
have,  under  God,  to  thank  that  dear  good  old  soul  Mr. 
Nobbs  for  the  preservation  of  many  of  our  lives.  Morn- 
ing, night,  and  noon,  sick  and  faint  himself  from  watch- 
ings  and  anxieties,  he  is  to  be  seen  now  here,  now  there, 
now  commending  a  departing  spirit  into  the  hands  of  a 
merciful  God,  and  then  again  administering  medicines  to 
some,  cheering  and  comforting  others  by  lively  conversa- 
tion. In  fact,  like  an  angel  of  light,  all  through  the  hor- 
rors of  that  terrible  and  fearful  sickness,  he  diffused  light 
and  comfort  wherever  he  went.  The  true  friend  and  the 
true  shepherd  of  the  flock,  he  cared  not  for  himself,  but 
went  wherever  and  whenever  duty  called  him." 

It  may  be  added  that  the  Pitcairn  people  found  in  time 
that  their  retirement  was  not  so  much  invaded  as  they 
had  apprehended.  They  became  interested  in  the  scheme, 
and  as  the  college  was  founded  on  St.  Barnabas  Day,  they 
named  it  "  The  College  of  St.  Barnabas,"  and  the  bishop 
adopted  the  title. 

The  following  letter  records  the  grateful  feelings  of  the 
Pitcairn  community  for  the  exertions  of  their  kind  friend, 
Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  on  their  behalf  regarding  the  college 
and  the  appropriation  of  land. 

"  Norfolk  Island,  October  20th,  1868. 
"Dear  Admiral  Moresby, — Your  kind  letter  to  Mr. 
Nobbs,  with  extracts  of  letters  from  Messrs.  Glennie  and 
White  to  yourself,  under  date  of  May  15th,  were  publicly 
read  a  few  days  after  receipt,  and  it  only  serves  to  add,  in 
our  estimation,  one  more  to  the  already  innumerable  proofs 
of  your  disinterested*  kindness  to  our  community. 


LETTER  FROM  OLD  PITCAIRNERS.  337 

"  We  can  not  allow  you  to  quit  the  '  scene  of  conflict' 
where  you  have  battled  so  long  and  so  nobly  for  our  wel- 
fare, without  tendering  you  our  united  thanks  for  favors 
so  generously  and  so  unostentatiously  bestowed  upon  us 
by  yourself  and  by  others  through  you,  commencing  from 
the  first  day  of  our  acquaintance  up  to  the  present  time. 

"  Now  that  all  is  over,  will  you  kindly  tender  to  those 
who  have  taken  an  interest  in  our  cause  our  sincerest 
thanks,  and  assure  them  that  we  deeply  appreciate  their 
kind  intentions.  Well  do  we  know  that  our  cause  was 
just,  but  perhaps  we  were  in  a  measure  to  blame.  As 
you  have  said,  the  '  die  is  cast ' — now  let  the  past  be  bu- 
ried in  oblivion. 

"Again,  dear,  dear  admiral,  accept  our  heartiest  thanks 
for  all  you  have  done  for  us,  for,  we  assure  you,  long  will 
we  cherish  in  our  hearts  the  remembrance  of  your  kind- 
ness to  us  and  ours. 

"  That  Heaven  may  shower  its  choicest  blessings  upon 
you  and  yours  will  ever  be  the  prayer  of  your  grateful 
friends,  John  Bufeett,  Chief  Magistrate, 

John  Adams,  Councillor, 
George  H.  Nobbs,  Chaplain, 
George  Adams,  aged  65  years, 
Arthur  Quintal,*  aged  16  years," 
and  last  surviving  children  of  the  mutineers  of  the  Boun- 
ty.    In  the  name  and  on  the  behalf  of  the  Pitcairn  com- 
munity now  residing  on  Norfolk  Island." 

The  next  extract  of  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  G.  Nobbs  is 
of  the  same  date  as  the  above : 

"  We  are  slowly  returning  to  our  usual  duties.  The 
whaling-season  is  drawing  to  a  close — one  hundred  and 
fifty  barrels  have  only  yet  been  taken.  The  whales  are 
every  year  becoming  more  difficult  to  approach,  and  more 
dangerous.    We  have  had  one  boat  smashed  within  fifteen 

*  ' '  The  oldest  man  on  the  island,  with  something  of  the  spirit  of  the  old 
Covenanters." — Note  by  Admiral  Moresby. 

15 


338  THE  MUTINEEBS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

seconds  of  darting  the  harpoon.  The  whale  went  off  with 
one  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms  of  line ;  the  crew  took  to 
the  oars  and  pieces  of  the  wreck.  Signals  were  made  from 
the  hills  to  another  boat  some  three  miles  off,  and  in  less 
than  half  an  hour  they  were  providentially  saved  from  a 
watery  grave,  or  the  more  ravenous  sharks.  The  wreck 
was  not  worth  picking  up,  and  the  whale  never  seen 
again. 

"October  16th. — To-day  I  enter  my  seventieth  year,  and 
'tis  only  sixteen  years  to-day  since  I  arrived  in  England 
with  dispatches  from  the  Commander-in-chief  in  the  Pacif- 
ic Ocean.  What  changes  both  in  the  great  world  and  our 
microcosm  have  taken  place  since  the  latter  period!  but 
amid  all  the  chances  and  changes  of  this  transitory  world 
Jehovah  is  unchangeable,  and  that  Triune  God  is  our  God, 
He  will  be  our  guide  even  unto  death. 

"  Since  the  commencement  of  this  letter  we  have  been 
more  successful  in  whaling;  we  have  now  three  hundred 
and  fifty  barrels  of  oil,  and  probably  might  get  a  hundred 
barrels  more,  but  all  our  casks  and  other  available  articles 
are  full,  and  we  can  not,  like  the  Shunamite  of  old,  borrow 
from  our  neighbors,  but  I  trust  we  are  imbued  with  simi- 
lar feelings  of  gratitude. 

"  We  have  still  a  good  deal  of  sickness  amongst  us  of  a 
febrile  type,  but  not  alarming ;  whether  ever  I  shall  get 
clear  of  medical  responsibilities  until  I  get  into  my  coffin, 
I  have  much  doubt. 

"  I  am,  at  this  time,  anxiously  awaiting  either  the  ad- 
vent of  Lord  Belmore,  or  some  ship  of  war  from  Sydney, 
to  bring  me  my  annual  supply  of  medicine,  for  I  am  begin- 
ning to  run  short. 

"  October  22d. — The  vessel  we  are  expecting  from  Auck- 
land has  not  yet  arrived;  but  an  opportunity  offers  for 
forwarding  this,  and  John  Adams's  letter  in  the  name  of 
the  community,  signed  by  the  chief  magistrate  and  my- 
self in  the  name  and  by  the  request  of  all  hands. 

"And  now,  once  more,  God  be  with  you,  honored  friend. 
" Gratefully  yours,  G.  H.  Nobbs." 


A    WHALING  ADVENTURE.  339 

The  daring  and  hardihood  of  the  islanders  in  steering 
boats  through  the  surf,  and  among  the  surf-beaten  rocks 
of  Pitcairn,  no  less  than  their  powers  of  swimming  long 
distances,  and  remaining  for  hours  in  the  water,  were  ad- 
mirable qualifications  for  the  whale-fishery.  A  more  re- 
markable story  of  adventure  is  perhaps  not  recorded  in 
the  annals  of  whale-fishing  than  that  contained  in  Mr. 
Nobbs's  letter  to  Admiral  Moresby,  which  we  give  at 
length : 

"  Norfolk  Island,  December  11th,  1868. 

"  We  have  had  an  adventurous  whaling-season.  About 
three  hundred  barrels  (of  oil)  have  been  taken,  or  at  least 
preserved;  two  boats  destroyed  entirely  (one  of  these  I 
mentioned  in  my  last  letter) ;  and  one  crew  of  six  persons 
were  for  three  hours  in  the  water,  without  the  aid  or 
knowledge  of  the  other  boats.  The  boat  in  question, 
Frederick  Young's,  was  some  three  miles  from  the  shore, 
and  having  imprudently  fastened  to  a  cow  whale,  no  other 
boat  being  in  sight,  she  very  quietly  turned  the  boat  bot- 
tom up  without  staving  a  plank,  and  then  went  off  some 
distance.  The  crew  set  about  righting  the  boat,  but  of 
course  could  not  free  her  from  water ;  however,  they  got 
the  oars  lashed  athwart,  and,  though  the  gunwale  was  lev- 
el with  the  sea,  commenced  paddling  (each  boat  always 
carrying  a  set  of  paddles  besides  the  oars)  very  comforta- 
bly towards  the  shore,  as  I  said,  about  a  league  distant. 
The  current  was  against  them,  and  they  did  not  make 
much  progress,  still  they  were  gaining  ground,  when  to 
their  surprise  they  saw  the  wounded  whale  coming  to- 
wards the  boat.  As  soon  as  they  were  convinced  the  boat 
was  the  object  which  engaged  her  attention — she  either 
supposing  it  to  be  her  calf,  which  lay  dead  some  two  miles 
distant,  or  actuated  by  a  desire  for  vengeance — the  crew 
leaped  overboard,  and  the  irritated  monster  placed  her 
head  on  the  boat  and  there  remained  motionless  for  some 
time.  Then  she  retired  to  a  short  distance,  and  the  head- 
man swam  back  and  got  a  lance  ready,  determined  to  use 


340  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

it  if  the  whale  came  again  within  reach.  She  did  return, 
and  Young  actually  thrust  the  lance  several  times  into  her 
'  spout-hole.'  Feeling  the  smart;  the  whale  settled  down 
some  fathoms,  then  came  up  swiftly  and  smashed  boat  and 
oars  into  fragments. 

"  There  was  now  no  alternative  but  to  strike  out  for  the 
land.  One  of  the  crew,  an  English  sailor,  could  not  swim, 
but  two  of  our  people  bid  him  put  an  arm  on  each  of  their 
necks,  and  they  would  not  leave  him  while  life  remained. 
The  last  time  they  saw  the  whale  she  was  in  a  very  weak 
state  from  loss  of  blood,  but  still  remaining  by  the  debris 
of  the  boat.  And  now,  for  three  long  weary  hours,  did 
they  exert  their  energies  to  the  utmost ;  but,  the  current 
setting  off,  they  had  not  gained  more  than  a  mile.  The 
poor  sailor  was  almost  exhausted,  and  most  began  to  think 
their  ultimate  safety  doubtful.  There  was  also  a  lad  of 
sixteen,  one  of  our  own  people,  who  was  beginning  to  wea- 
ry, so  that  the  other  two  of  the  crew  were  obliged  to  keep 
by  his  side  to  encourage  him.  That  which  seemed  to 
alarm  the  lad  more  was  the  presence  of  immense  sharks, 
whose  fins  were  continually  coming  in  contact  with  his 
legs.  At  this  time  their  perilous  situation  was  unknown 
to  the  other  boats,  or  to  us  on  shore. 

"At  length  my  son  Fletcher,  seeing  nothing  of  Young's 
boat  for  several  hours,  left  off  chasing  whales  and  went  in 
quest  of  him.  After  a  search  of  some  time  he  concluded 
the  boat  must  have  landed,  and  began  to  think  of  doing 
so  himself,  as  what  are  technically  called  '  the  chances '  of 
the  day  were  over.  While  rowing  leisurely  along  shore, 
about  a  mile  from  the  land,  Fletcher,  who  was  standing  up 
steering,  fancied  he  heard  something  like  a  distant  shout- 
ing or  calling.  Having  mentioned  this  to  the  boat's  crew, 
they  ceased  pulling,  and  surveyed  the  adjacent  ridge, 
which  came  down  nearly  to  the  water's  edge,  thinking  it 
might  be  some  one  desirous  of  telling  them  in  what  direc- 
tion the  other  boats  were.  But  they  could  see  no  one. 
Presently  they  heard  the  same  sounds  again,  and  then  af- 
ter a  short  interval  a  third  time. 


A   WHALING  ADVENTURE.  341 

"  Fletcher  and  his  crew  were  now  of  opinion  that  it  was 
from  seaward  the  voices  proceeded.  Having  come  to  this 
conclusion,  the  boat's  head  was  turned  in  that  direction, 
and  '  Spring,  boys,  there's  help  needed  somewhere,'  was  the 
prompt  conclusion,  and  they  bent  to  their  oars  with  a  good 
will.  After  pulling  nearly  a  mile,  the  steersman,  who  had 
perched  himself  on  the  gunwale  of  the  boat,  fancied  he  saw 
three  black  spots  on  the  water,  about  the  size  and  appear- 
ance of  cocoa-nuts,  and  quickly  became  assured  they  were 
human  heads. 

"  Thinking  these  were  all  that  were  left  of  the  crew  of 
Young's  boat,  he  became  so  affected  that  he  sank  down  in 
the  stern-sheets,  and  could  not  utter  a  word.  This,  of 
course,  alarmed  the  boat's  crew,  but  he  speedily  recovered 
himself,  and  simply  said,  '  Pull,  boys ;  there  they  are,  just 
ahead.'  Soon  they  had  the  three  on  board,  but  they  were 
actually  afraid  to  ask  what  had  become  of  the  other  three, 
fearing  they  were  either  drowned  or  eaten  by  the  sharks ; 
but  one  of  the  escaped  men  said, '  Pull  on ;  the  others  can't 
be  far  off,'  and  about  half  a  mile  farther  on  the  others 
were  happily  met  with,  but  in  a  most  exhausted  state : 
humanly  speaking,  another  half-hour  would  have  sealed 
their  fate. 

"And  now  for  ourselves,  who  were  on  shore.  Many  of 
us,  both  male  and  female,  were  assembled  on  the  pier,  look- 
ing at  a  young  whale  which  had  been  killed  the  day  be- 
fore, when  a  boat  appeared  rounding  the  '  Windmill-point.' 
All  eyes  were  directed  towards  her,  and  some  one  remark- 
ed, '  There  are  more  than  six  people  in  that  boat ;  some  ac- 
cident has  happened.'  Our  faces  blanched,  and  our  hearts 
beat  quick  on  hearing  these  remarks.  After  a  few  mo- 
ments' silence,  and  as  the  boat  drew  nearer,  we  attempted 
to  count  the  number  on  board.  Having  no  glass  at  hand, 
we  could  only  perceive  nine.  Three  are  gone,  was  the 
mournful  conclusion ;  but  whose  husband,  son,  or  brother  ? 
I  now  ventured  to  ask,  but  with  bated  breath,  *  Who's 
steering  the  boat  ?'  '  Fletcher,'  was  the  prompt  reply — the 
only  son  I  had  out  that  day.     Did  I  feel  a  relief?     Wasn't 


342  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

it  selfish  ?    I  can  answer  the  first  query,  let  casuists  decide 
the  second. 

"After  a  little  further  scrutiny  of  the  quickly  approach- 
ing boat,  a  tenth  person  was  discovered,  and  then  the  elev- 
enth ;  they  were  seated  among  the  rowers.  At  last  the 
twelfth  was  discerned  seated  low  in  the  stern,  with  his  head 
resting  on  the  gunwale.  Yes,  they  were  all  there,  but  this 
last  undoubtedly  injured.  Well,  the  pier  was  soon  round- 
ed, and  as  soon  as  they  came  within  hail,  'All  right  ?'  was 
our  half-fearful  interrogatory.  'All  right,  thank  God  !'  was 
the  subdued  but  cheerful  response.  No  one  was  hurt,  and 
the  man  leaning  on  the  side  of  the  boat  was  the  English 
sailor,  still  weak  and  pallid  ;  our  people  had  stuck  by  him, 
to  the  endangering  of  their  own  lives.  What  a  pictur- 
esque appearance  they  exhibited  ;  some  with  trowsers  and 
no  shirts,  others  with  shirts  and  no  trowsers,  for  the  swim- 
ming-party had  divested  themselves  of  all  incumbrances, 
even  to  nudity,  and  those  in  the  boat  had  shared  their  gar- 
ments with  them,  which  were  not  many,  as  the  weather 
was  intensely  warm.  However,  here  they  were,  all  merci- 
fully preserved.  And  I  am  sure  all  hands  were  unfeigned- 
ly  thankful,  for  tears  of  joy  plentifully  bedewed  the  faces 
of  all  present."" 

To  this  letter  Mr.  Nobbs  added  the  following  postscript : 

"  I  have  no  knowledge  of  the  Reuben  Nobbs  alluded  to 
in  your  letter.  I  saw  the  account  in  an  Exeter  paper,  and 
read  it  to  my  family.  It  is  a  curious  coincidence,  and  I 
can  only  account  for  it  by  supposing  some  one  named 
Nobbs  may  have  read  the  Rev.  T.  B.  Murray's  early  edi- 
tion of  '  Pitcairn,'  and  so  was  induced  to  name  his  son 
Reuben.  Nobbs  is  not,  I  believe,  a  common,  though  un- 
doubtedly a  plebeian  name,  and  I  never  met  a  person  of 
this  patronymic  in  all  my  travels ;  but,  strange  to  say,  a 
few  months  since  a  ship  called  the  Esk  touched  here  on 
her  way  to  China,  commanded  by  Captain  Charles  Nobbs ; 
of  course  we  knew  nothing  of  each  other.  The  name  was 
assumed  by  me  as  a  matter  of  convenience  when  I  first 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1868.—  FATAL  EPIDEMIC.  343 

went  to  sea,  and  beyond  the  worthy  couple  bearing  the 
name,  with  whom  I  dwelt  for  some  time  previous,  but  who 
had  no  children  of  their  own,  I  never  have  been  acquaint- 
ed with  a  Nobbs,  male  or  female.  You  are  acquainted 
with  my  mother's  reason  for  my  assumption  of  this  nom 
de  guerre" 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  White,  Son-in-law  and  Daugh- 
ter of  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  G.C.B. 

"Norfolk  Island,  February  19th,  1869. 

"My  dear  Friends, — 'As  your  day  is,  so  shall  your 
strength  be,'  is  the  promise  of  our  covenant  God,  and  I 
quote  it,  as  having  indeed  realized  its  fulfillment  many 
times  in  my  threescore  years  and  ten,  but  probably  never 
more  so  than  during  our  last  providential  visitation ;  and 
I  trust  that  you,  too,  in  your  present  sunshine  of  domes- 
tic felicity,  may  experience  and  gratefully  acknowledge  it. 
Your  honored  father's  letter  of  the  30th  of  September, 
with  yours  inclosed,  I  received  yesterday,  and  though  in 
declining  health,  I  must  not  let  this  opportunity  of  an- 
swering it  pass  by.  To  Sir  Fairfax  I  wrote  last  month, 
and  more  recently  to  Sir  Thomas,  so  that  I  shall  wait  for 
returning  health  ere  I  again  write  to  three  of  my  best 
friends,  or  else  employ  one  of  my  sons  as  my  amanuensis, 
or  to  announce  my  death.  I  am  not  dangerously  ill,  but 
wearing  away.  I  can  not  go  to  visit  my  distant  patients 
on  horseback,  by  reason  of  an  almost  broken  neck,  a  remi- 
niscence of  war,  glorious  war — some  fifty  years  since — and 
even  walking  quickly  wearies  me.  The  Melanesian  clergy 
very  kindly  take  the  afternoon  service  on  Sundays,  and 
would  do  more  were  I  to  resign  ;  but  I  do  not  intend  to  do 
so,  unless  my  infirmities  prove  too  great  a  hindrance. 

"  We  have  been  called  to  mourning.  Thirty  of  our  com- 
munity have  been  taken  away  in  little  more  than  a  year. 
Verily  the  mourners  went  about  the  streets.  I  have  de- 
tailed the  circumstances  to  the  admiral,  and  he  will,  no 
doubt,  send  you  his  letter.  I  am  too  unwell  at  this  time 
to  enter  into  more  particulars ;  but,  blessed  be  God,  it  is 


344  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

not  a  painful  subject  to  meditate  upon.  Our  dear  depart- 
ed ones  knew  in  whom  they  trusted,  and  did  believe  and  re- 
alized that  He  was  able  to  keep  that  which  they  had  com- 
mitted unto  Him.  '  Death  could  not  make  souls  afraid,' 
for  God  was  with  them  here. 

"  When  you  write  to  my  best  earthly  friend,  tell  him 
old  and  young,  men,  women,  and  children,  unite  with  me, 
proffering  our  unqualified  love  to  our  dear  old  admiral. 

"  In  verity  yours,  while  to  the  windward  side  of  the 
grave-yard,  G.  H.  Nobbs." 

In  a  later  letter  addressed  by  Mr.  ISTobbs  to  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  G.  D.  Glennie,  he  gives  a  more  cheerful  account 
of  the  state  of  the  Pitcairn  colony  : 

"Norfolk  Island,  July  29th,  1869. 

"  The  voice  of  health  and  gladness  is  again  heard  in  our 
dwellings,  although  the  exhausting  effects  of  the  typhoid 
fever  have  not  entirely  disappeared.  Two  grown  persons 
have  died  of  phthisis,  consequent  upon  the  debility  caused 
by  the  epidemic  last  year. 

"We  are  going  on  very  comfortably,  hoping  and  ex- 
pecting that  American  whale-ships  will  again  visit  us — 
now  that  their  internecine  war  is  ended — for  vegetable 
produce,  beef,  etc.  Bishop  Patteson  left  us  a  month  since 
for  the  Isles  of  Darkness,  taking  with  him  some  thirty  ne- 
ophytes, all  of  whom  have  been  baptized,  and  several  are 
communicants.  One  Melanesian  deacon  and  three  English 
clergymen,  ordained  since  their  sojourn  at  this  place,  also 
accompany  him.  There  remain  about  thirty  Melanesian s 
and  two  clergymen.  One  or  other  of  these  latter  general- 
ly takes  the  afternoon  service  in  my  church,  and  assists  at 
the  Holy  Communion  on  the  first  Sunday  of  each  month. 
Our  people  are  frequently  invited  by  the  bishop  and  his 
clergy  to  tea,  etc.,  and  accept  similar  friendly  demonstra- 
tions from  us,  but  the  scholars  never  come  near  us,  nor 
even  into  the  town,  unless  there  is  timber  or  stores  from 
Auckland  to  be  landed  and  transferred  to  the  mission,  so 
that  we  are  as  much  to  ourselves  as  we  can  desire ;  and 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1869.- LETTER  FROM  MR.  NOBBS.    345 

were  it  not  that  so  much  land  has  been  alienated,  we  have 
no  reason  to  regret  the  establishment  of '  St.  Barnabas  Col- 
lege.' I  have  recently  written  to  Mr.  Mills,  and  shall,  with 
this,  forward  letters  to  Sir  T.  Acland  and  Admiral  Mores- 
by by  the  next  conveyance,  whenever  it  may  occur. 

"  We  are  collecting  materials  for  a  new  church,  the  old 
one,  built  under  the  convict  regime,  being  in  a  very  ruin- 
ous state.  The  pecuniary  benevolence  of  Sir  Thomas  and 
the  admiral  have  enabled  us  to  procure  from  Sydney  and 
Auckland  many  requirements  for  the  undertaking.  We 
were  rapidly  increasing,  but  the  dreadful  epidemic  of  last 
year  decimated  us,  and  tjiere  have  this  year  hitherto  been 
as  many  deaths  as  births ;  still  I  think  the  latter  will  pre- 
dominate before  the  close  of  December.  Two  hundred 
and  four  births  have  taken  place  since  our  exodus  in  1856 
(these  are  strictly  of  our  Pitcairn  colony),  and  seventy-two 
deaths,  thirty  of  which  occurred  last  year.  Twelve  of  our 
young  ones  were  confirmed  in  May,  and  the  communicants 
are  one  hundred  and  three.  I  am  still  graciously  permit- 
ted to  perform  my  usual  duties,  with  the  exception  of  su- 
perintending the  school,  from  which  I  am  precluded  by 
deafness,  which,  though  not  total,  has,  I  fear,  become  chron- 
ic. We  have  recently  obtained  a  certificated  school-mas- 
ter from  Auckland,  recommended  by  Bishop  Patteson,  so 
that  I  trust  our  children  will  not  lack  instruction. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  that  your  young  immortals  are 
travelling  with  their  faces  Zionward,  and  that  you  may  be 
graciously  enabled  to  say  with  joy,  'Here  am  I, Lord,  and 
the  children  thou  hast  given  me.' 

"  Present  my  respects  to  Miss  Glennie,  to  my  cicerone, 
and  such  others  of  your  family  as  were  pleased  to  give  me 
a  well-remembered  and  kind  reception  some  seventeen 
years  since. 

"  With  sentiments  of  grateful  respect,  believe  me,  my 
dear  Mr.  Glennie,  very  sincerely  yours, 

"  George  H.  Nobbs. 

"  P.S.  October  14th. — Bishop  Patteson  is  still  on  his  Me- 
lanesian  tour.     His  lordship  is  at  present  on  the  island  of 

15* 


346  TEE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

Mota,  placing  in  a  safe  position  the  first  ordained  Melane- 
sian  teacher  and  his  wife — the  first  fruits  of  righteous  years 
and  strenuous  exertion;  but,  if  it  pleases  God,  they  will 
now  make  rapid  progress. 

"  Respected  friend,  ever  faithfully  yours, 

"G.H.Nobbs." 

As  the  Melanesian  mission  and  the  college  on  Norfolk 
Island  has  been  so  frequently  mentioned  in  many  forego- 
ing chapters,  the  reader  will  be  interested  in  the  following 
account  by  Bishop  Patteson  of  the  prospects  and  position 
of  the  establishment : 

"  Soon,  by  God's  blessing,  I  think  we  may  hope  to  reap 
a  harvest  among  the  many  islands  from  whence  the  youths 
come,  for  I  do  think  there  are  some  here  in  whose  hearts 
the  Spirit  of  God  is  working.  They  are  eager  to  be  taught 
here,  from  small  to  great,  and  out  of  school-hours  may  be 
seen  sitting  about  with  their  books  spelling  the  words  for 
themselves.  Our  translations  are  yet,  for  the  most  part, 
in  Mota,  and  that  is  principally  learnt  and  spoken  by  the 
boys.  How  many  languages  are  spoken  here  really  I 
can  not  say ;  certainly  a  very  great  number,  but  they  all 
soon  get  to  know  one  another,  and  converse  in  one  lan- 
guage."* 

December  14^,  1868. — "No  servants,  white  or  black." 
(This  is  a  very  noteworthy  point  in  Bishop  Patteson's 
system  of  work.)  "  No  menial  servants,  no  more  paid  la- 
borers. The  idea  that  '  one  volunteer  is  worth  two  press- 
ed men '  has  never  been  more  thoroughly  carried  out  in 
principle  and  detail. 

"  Well,  at  7  p.m.  the  bell  rings  for  chapel  for  about  one 
minute,  and  all  hands  promptly  repair  thither.  In  spite 
of  the  vast  variety  of  languages  and  dialects  spoken  by 
the  fifty  or  sixty  human  beings  collected  from  twenty  or 
thirty  islets  of  the  Pacific  main,  no  practical  difficulty  has 

*  Extract  from  the  "Australian  Churchman." 


THE  MELANESIAN  MISSION.  347 

been  found  in  using  iMota  '*  as  the  general  language  for 
chapel  and  school,  so  that  in  a  short  time  a  congregation 
of  twenty  languages  are  able  to  join  in  worship  in  the  one 
Mota  tongue,  more  or  less  akin  to  all  the  rest,  and  a  class 
of  (say)  nine  boys  speaking  by  nature  five  different  lan- 
guages peaceably  agree  and  easily  unite  in  the  using  of 
the  one  Mota  language ;  just  as  a  Frenchman  and  a  Ger- 
man, a  Russian,  an  Italian,  and  an  Englishman,  all  meeting 
in  the  same  cafe  or  railway-carriage,  on  the  same  glacier 
or  mountain-top,  might  harmoniously  agree  to  use  French 
as  their  medium  of  communication.  So  the  service  is 
conducted  in  Mota  by  the  bishop  and  Rev.  Mr.  Codring- 
ton,  and  by  George  Sarawaia,  of  Mota,  who  reads  the  les- 
sons, and  who  (D.V.)  will  be  ordained  a  deacon  of  the 
Church  of  England  next  week.  One  exception  only  is 
made — the  collect  for  the  day  is  read  in  English,  as  a 
brief  allowable  concession  to  the  ears  and  hearts  of  the 
English  members  of  the  mission.  The  service  consists  of 
the  greater  part  of  the  Church  of  England  service  trans- 
lated. Some  modifications  have  been  made  to  suit  the 
course  of  religious  instruction.  The  Psalms  are  chanted, 
and  hymns  sung  in  parts,  and  always  in  admirable  tune, 
by  the  congregation.  Noteworthy  are  the  perfect  atten- 
tion, the  reverent  attitude,  the  hearty  singing  and  unison 
of  this  little  congregation ;  a  lesson  (I  felt  with  shame)  to 
many  of  our  white  congregations. 

"  Now,  as  regards  the  manual  work  of  the  station,  this 
general  principle  is  observed— women  for  washing  and 
housework,  and  men  for  planting  and  out-of-door  work, 
but  no  one,  white  or  black,  is  to  be  too  grand  to  do  his 
share. 


*  "  The  island  of  Mota,  or  Sugar-loaf  Island,  is  one  of  the  Banks  Isl- 
ands to  the  southward  of  the  Santa  Cruz  group  in  the  South  Pacific  Ocean. 
The  Banks  Islands  were  (in  1856)  scarcely  marked  on  the  charts,  although 
of  considerable  size.  Mota  is  spoken  of  in  the  '  Melanesian  Mission '  as 
one  of  the  brightest  spots  in  its  history,  and  the  missionaries  were  possibly 
better  acquainted  with  that  dialect  than  any  other ;  the  scholars  from  that 
island  might  also  be  more  numerous  than  from  any  other." 


348  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

"  The  bishop's  share,  indeed,  is  to  study  and  investigate 
and  compare  the  languages  and  necessary  translations, 
but  no  one  is  to  be  above  manual  labor,  no  one  quasi- 
white  man  is  to  say,  as  it  were, '  Here,  black  fellow,  come 
and  clean  my  boots.  Here,  black  people,  believe  that  I 
have  come  to  give  you  a  treasure  of  inestimable  price  ; 
meantime  work  for  me,  am  I  not  your  superior  ?  Can  I 
not  give  you  money,  calico,  what  not  ¥ 

"  Well,  this  Christian  democracy,  if  I  may  call  it  so, 
has  worked  well  in  the  long  run.  A  little  patience,  and 
boys  who  might  have  kicked  if  told  to  black  boots  for 
a  white  master  have  gratefully  volunteered  to  do  it  for 
a  well -beloved  white  brother,  and  girls  have  come  to 
feel  hurt  to  see  their  white  teacher  —  really  loved  and 
revered,  really  felt  to  be  unspeakably  their  superior  — 
sweeping  his  own  room,  or  dusting  his  own  books,  and 
have  humbly  prayed  to  be  allowed  to  relieve  him  of  that 
trouble." 

In  a  letter  written  by  Bishop  Patteson  to  the  author, 
he  thus  speaks  of  the  character  and  position  of  the  Pit- 
cairn  people  on  Norfolk  Island  : 

"December  18th,  1869. 

"  They  are  really  a  friendly,  kindly,  amiable  people, 
with  a  good  deal  to  learn,  and  a  good  deal  of  room  for 
improvement,  like  most  of  us. 

"  So  far  from  the  Pitcairn  seclusion  being  an  advan- 
tage, I  believe  that  persons  so  circumstanced  will  be 
found  to  illustrate  the  truth,  that  God  trains  his  people 
by  the  discipline  that  comes  with  the  exposure  to  trials 
and  temptations.  The  absence  of  temptation  results,  at 
the  least,  in  nothing  higher  than  a  merely  negative  good- 
ness. 

"  The  positive,  manly,  energetic,  Christian  character  is 
formed  in  the  midst  of  trials  and  struggles." 

In  the  justice  and  good  sense  of  these  remarks  we  must 
all  concur,  and  have  little  doubt  but  that  members  of  the 


XOltFOLK  ISLAND,  1869.  349 

Pitcairn  colony,  when  tried  and  weighed  in  the  balance, 
will  not  be  found  wanting. 

The  following  letter  from  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs  was 
commenced  at  the  same  date  as  the  one  from  the  bishop, 
and  ended  January  1st,  18 TO.    It  arrived  by  the  same  post : 

"Norfolk  Island,  December  16th,  1869. 

"  My  dear  Lady  Belcher, — iJSi  ia  outou  te  arotra  mau 
e  ta  hau  no  o  mai  i  te  atua  i  to  tatou  metua  ra,  e  no  o  hoi  i 
te  Fatu  ia  Jesu  Mesia  raS 

"A  salutation  your  honored  father  would  have  re- 
sponded to,  when  in  the  flesh,  with  full  purpose  of  heart ; 
and  with  which  I  will  now  greet  you,  in  the  vernacular 
of  another  people,  who  are  also  blessed  with  a  translation 
of  that  Book  which  maketh  wise  unto  salvation — *  Grace 
be  unto  you,  and  peace  from  God  our  Father  and  from  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.'     .... 

"We  have  been  nearly  fourteen  years  at  this  place, 
and  have  much  cause  to  be  grateful  for  the  removal.  Of 
course,  here,  as  everywhere  else,  we  have  had  our  fruitful 
seasons  and  those  of  scarcity  ;  but  these  latter  have  ever 
been  the  result  of  continued  drought,  and  not  of  indolence 
and  negligence. 

"Another  drawback  is,  that  the  whaling-season  is  at 
the  very  time  when  agriculture  most  needs  attention,  and 
is  in  consequence  neglected  or  postponed  to  a  less  favor- 
able opportunity.  A  whale  within  reasonable  distance 
from  the  shore  receives  immediate  attention  ;  and  I  opine, 
if  these  leviathans  were  to  visit  us  through  the  year,  lit- 
tle else  as  a  means  of  subsistence  would  be  attended  to. 
There  is  a  fascination  in  chasing  and  capturing  whales, 
to  which  our  people  yield  most  implicitly,  notwithstand- 
ing the  danger  manifestly  imminent  during  the  conflict. 
Hitherto  no  serious  personal  injury  has  been  sustained, 
though  many  narrow  escapes  are  on  record,  and  fre- 
quently narrated  when  seated  in  the  shadow  of  some  um- 
brageous pine  or  fluttering  banana-tree,  resting  during 
the  mid-day  heat  from   the  monotonous   but   also   more 


350  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

beneficial  labor  of  ploughing  or  hoeing  their  farm  allot- 
ments. We  have  recently  heard  from  our  relatives  who 
returned  to  Pitcairn's ;  the  report  is  not  favorable.  A 
worm  infests  their  potatoes  so  badly  that  it  is  with  dif- 
ficulty" they  procure  sufficient  for  subsistence ;  and  conse- 
quently have  no  surplus  for  the  supply  of  ships.  The 
only  clothing  they  have  for  general  use  is  manufactured 
from  the  ■  aute '  or  paper  mulberry,  and  familiarly 
known  as  *  tappa.'  It  is  very  inferior  for  wearing-appar- 
el, although  sufficient  to  subserve  the  purposes  of  decency. 
We  have  none  of  the  plant  here,  and  though  we  should 
last  year  have  been  glad  of  some  of  the  cloth  for  bed-linen 
during  the  fever,  still  I  think  we  shall  hardly  again  resume 
the  manufacture ;  besides,  it  is  very  doubtful  if  the  plant 
would  thrive  here,  from  the  low  temperature  of  the  winter 
months — low  in  our  estimation,  our  zero  being  45°  Fah- 
renheit. Lord  Belmore  has  not  yet  visited  us,  there  being 
no  available  ship  of  war ;  and  to  hire  a  vessel  is  attended 
with  too  great  an  expense,  therefore  it  is  very  uncertain 
whether  the  earl  and  countess  will  honor  us  with  their 
presence.  We  are  very  desirous  that  his  excellency  should 
come,  not  that  we  have  any  thing  of  a  serious  nature  to 
submit  for  adjudication,  but  there  are  several  moot  points 
respecting  land  grants  and  conveyances,  and  many  minor 
questions  which  can  be  solved  so  much  better  colloquial- 
ly than  by  letter ;  besides,  personal  acquaintance  relieves 
epistolary  correspondence  of  much  stiffness  and  formality. 
My  wife,  as  perhaps  you  remember,  is  a  granddaughter 
of  Fletcher  Christian.  She  continues  to  enjoy  tolerable 
health,  though,  like  myself,  gradually  succumbing  to  the 
infirmities  of  age.  We  have  ten  children  living ;  eight 
are  married,  with  thirty-five  children  among  them ;  one 
daughter,  a  widow  with  one  child  before  she  was  twenty 
years  old ;  and  my  female  Benjamin  of  thirteen  years, 
who,  in  accordance  with  the  times,  is  actually  taking  les- 
sons in  music,  with  several  more  of  our  young  ladies,  from 
a  most  competent  teacher.  Jane  has  been  married  several 
years,  and  will  very  shortly  be  the  mother  of  five  children ; 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1869.  351 

her  eldest  child  was  unfortunately  burnt  so  badly  about 
five  years  since  that  she  survived  but  a  few  hours.  Jane 
sends  her  grateful  respects.  My  dear  old  rib  proffers  you 
her  Christian  regards,  and  the  other  members  of  the  fami- 
ly cordially  unite.  I  shall  be  right  glad  of  a  copy  of 
your  book,  when  published ;  for  the  Bounty,  and  the  imme- 
diate results  of  the  so-called  mutiny,  are  but  dimly  shad- 
owed forth  among  their  younger  descendants,  among 
whom  there  is  a  representative  of  the  fifth  generation. 
There  are  still  living  one  son  of  Matthew  Quintal  and  one 
son  and  daughter  of  John  Adams,  and,  by  the  last  account 
of  Pitcairn,  one  daughter  of  Mills.  These  are  all  that  re- 
main of  the  first  generation ;  of  the  second,  thirty-two  sur- 
vive. The  Tahitian  language  is  neither  spoken  nor  under- 
stood; a  few  words  have  become  mingled  with  our  not 
very  classical  English,  and  it  is  beyond  the  power  of  Mur- 
ray or  Walker  to  expel  them. 

"  Bishop  Patteson  returned  from  his  Melanesian  diocese 
some  three  months  since,  bringing  with  him  sixty  neo- 
phytes. There  are  now  more  than  a  hundred  under  in- 
struction, and  are  improving  rapidly.  It  is  really  aston- 
ishing to  see  how  promptly  they  conform  to  the  judicious 
modes  of  instruction  pursued  by  the  bishop  and  his  clergy, 
four  of  whom  are  in  full  orders,  and  one  a  deacon.  We 
are  on  excellent  terms  with  our  friends  at  St.  Barnabas, 
but  have  little  intercourse  beyond  an  occasional  invitation 
to  dinner  or  tea.  On  Sundays  one  or  other  of  the  clergy 
kindly  assists  me,  generally  taking  the  entire  afternoon 
service,  and  one  of  them  has  a  class  in  our  Sunday-school, 
the  bishop  himself  coming  down  to  Wednesday  afternoon 
service,  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  those  preparing  for 
confirmation 

"December  24th. — We  met  this  morning,  according  to 
our  law,  for  the  purpose  of  electing  magistrate  and  coun- 
cillors for  the  coming  year.  During  this  interregnum  of 
perhaps  an  hour's  duration  I  am  invested  with  the  abdi- 
cated authority,  as  £  President  of  the  Electoral  College.' 
The  magistrate  was  re-elected  for  the  fourth  consecutive 


352  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

year.  The  chief  councillor,  not  wishing  to  serve  longer, 
was  replaced  ;  the  second  councillor  was  re-elected.  Their 
names  as  they  stand  in  office  are,  John  Buffett,  junior, 
Abraham  Quintal,  and  John  Adams.  Before  separating  it 
was  put  to  the  vote  whether  the  old  church  should  be  re- 
paired or  a  new  one  built.  A  new  one  was  decided  upon, 
nem.  con.,  and  then  all  hands  commenced  their  Christmas 
preparations. 

"January  1st,  1870. 
"From  our  coral-fenced,  austrine  hacienda,  of  twenty 
miles'  circumference,  glowing  beneath  a  midsummer  and 
nearly  vertical  sun,  accept  our  New- Year's  salutation  of 
grace,  mercy,  and  peace.  We  have  been  engaged  this 
morning  in  laying  the  corner-stone  of  our  new  church 
('All  Saints'),  and  humbly  trust  we  shall  be  permitted  to 
finish  it  by  the  middle  of  this  untried  year.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  foundation,  it  is  to  be  of  wood,  one  hundred 
feet  long,  and  forty  feet  wide.  Most  of  the  materials  for 
the  edifice  are  obtained,  but  we  shall  be  most  grateful  for 
some  assistance  in  the  shape  of  a  cover  for  the  communion- 
table, and  material  of  which  to  make  cushions  for  the  read- 
ing-desk and  pulpit,  and  for  the  communicants  to  kneel 
upon.  The  outer  fabric  of  these  is  all  that  is  needed,  with 
material  for  binding.  May  I  ask  you  to  mention  the  cir- 
cumstance to  such  of  your  benevolent  friends  as  may  be 
disposed,  from  sheer  Christian  philanthropy,  to  aid  us  in 
this  matter.  I  make  no  apology  for  preferring  this  re- 
quest, feeling  sure  you  will  either  promulgate  or  repress 
it  as  may  seem  most  consistent  with  your  ideas  of  conven- 
tional propriety.  Few  of  those  friends  who  gave  me  so 
cordial  a  welcome  seventeen  years  since  are  now  in  the 
flesh.  Yourself,  Admiral  Moresby,  Sir  Thomas  Acland, 
and  the  reverend  secretaries  to  the  S.  P.  G.  and  S.  P.  C.  K., 
are  all,  or  nearly  all ;  but  from  these  untiring  benefactors 
we  have  received  frequent  and  most  essential  aid,  and  to 
whom  on  this  day  I  should  be  glad  to  proffer  a  viva  voce 
salutation  of  grateful  reminiscences.  I  am  writing  to  Sir 
Fairfax  and  Sir  Thomas.     I  wrote  to  my  well-remember- 


NORFOLK  ISLAND,  1870.  353 

ed  friend,  Admiral  Fanshawe,  some  few  years  since,  and 
through  him  to  his  brother-in-law  Mr.  Card  well,  but  pre- 
sume those  letters  never  reached  their  intended  destina- 
tion; the  subject  to  which  they  referred  has  since  been 
finally  adjusted,  and  I  trust  we  shall  be  enabled  (D.V.) 
to  hold  on  the  tenor  of  our  way,  with  grateful  acknowl- 
edgments to  the  Father  of  mercies  for  inclining  our  be- 
loved queen  to  bestow  on  us  so  eligible  a  place  of  abode. 

"  In  consequence  of  increasing  deafness  (one  of  the  three 
warnings),  I  am  constrained  to  relinquish  my  superintend- 
ence of  Sunday  and  day  schools.  The  latter  I  used  to  vis- 
it every  Friday,  to  catechise  the  children  by  classes,  in  a 
room  set  apart  for  that  purpose,  but  I  can  do  so  no  longer. 
I  am  most  grateful  that  for  forty-one  years  (since  1828)  I 
have  been  enabled  to  do  my  duty  in  that  state  of  life  in 
which  I  humbly  trust  it  was  his  good  pleasure  to  place 
me ;  and  now  providentially  there  is  other  help  at  hand, 
that  my  people  will  not  be  neglected,  or  sustain  much  loss 
whenever  my  number  is  made.  And  now,  my  dear  lady,  I 
must  conclude  this  very  desultory  epistle  by  bidding  you 
God  speed,  and  that  the  descendants  of  the  mutineers  of 
the  Bounty  may  have  grateful  cause  to  felicitate  them- 
selves on  your  exposition  of  their  fathers'  derelictions  and 
provocations.     Yours  in  verity,         George  H.  Nobbs." 

The  foregoing  letter  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Nobbs,  con- 
cluded on  the  1st  of  January,  1870,  is  the  last  communica- 
tion which  has  been  received  from  the  Pitcairn  Colony  on 
Norfolk  Island. 

It  is  a  satisfactory  document,  with  which  we  may  for 
the  present  take  our  leave  of  our  distant  but  affectionate 
friends,  in  whose  progress  and  welfare  we  feel  so  deep  an 
interest.  All  the  discomforts  and  disappointments  which 
attended  their  removal  from  Pitcairn,  and  their  first  arriv- 
al at  Norfolk  Island,  seem  happily  to  have  passed  away ; 
but  not  among  the  least  of  these  disappointments  was  the 
uncertainty  of  the  position  in  which  they  were  to  settle 


354  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

down  in  Norfolk  Island.  It  was  most  natural  that  they 
should  desire  to  remain  isolated  in  their  new  island  home, 
for  their  isolation  at  Pitcairn  had  no  doubt  saved  them 
from  many  evil  habits  incident  to  contact  with  the  world ; 
but  with  their  increasing  numbers  such  seclusion  became 
as  impossible  as  it  was  unadvisable.  The  two  settlements 
of  St.  Barnabas  and  Pitcairn  are  as  much  separated  as  if 
they  were  on  different  islands,  and  it  is  pleasing  to  find 
that  the  admirable  tact  and  kindness  of  Bishop  Patteson 
have  won  not  only  the  confidence  but  the  regard  of  the 
Pitcairn  people,  who  have  the  opportunity  of  gaining 
much  practical  information  as  to  farming,  and  the  manage- 
ment of  stock,  of  which  they  were  totally  ignorant.  From 
this  example  of  labor  and  industry,  so  conspicuous  in  the 
missionary  establishment,  they  will  learn  to  turn  their  at- 
tention to  other  profitable  means  of  employment  than  the 
whale-fishery,  which  may  every  year  become  more  pre- 
carious, and  the  export  of  oil  less  remunerative. 

Fifteen  years  have  elapsed  since  the  removal  from  Pit- 
cairn, and  the  colonists  have  during  this  period  evinced 
the  same  simplicity  of  manners  and  conduct,  the  same 
honest  adherence  to  truth  and  uprightness  in  their  deal- 
ings, for  which  they  were  distinguished  in  their  own  little 
island.  Long  may  these  principles  remain  their  character- 
istics ! 

It  is  due  to  our  friend,  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Nobbs,  that  this 
narrative  should  not  close  without  a  tribute  to  his  valu- 
able and  excellent  services.  He  has  labored  among  the 
islanders  for  more  than  forty  years  as  their  pastor,  school- 
master, and  physician,  and  his  efforts  have  been  unceasing 
in  his  arduous  and  varied  avocations.  Although  his  de- 
clining years  will  not  admit  of  the  continuance  of  all  these 
duties,  yet  we  hope  he  may  long  be  spared  to  them  as 
their  Christian  guide  and  minister,  and  the  evening  of  his 


THE  RE-EMIGRANTS  TO  PITCAIRN,  1860.  355 

life  be  cheered  by  the  affectionate  regard  and  esteem  of 
his  own  numerous  family,  and  of  many  who  have  grown 
up  under  his  eye  and  benefited  by  his  instruction. 

The  few  pages  that  remain  relate  to  the  families  who  re- 
turned to  Pitcairn,  and  have  been  visited  by  Captain  Mon- 
tresor,  R.N".,  and  others  ;  also  by  Sir  Went  worth  Dilke. 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  Captain  Mosttkesor,  dated  H. M.S. 
Calypso,  at  Sea,  lat.  27°  13'  S.,long.  130°  26'  W.,  October 
1th,  1860. 

"  We  arrived  at  Pitcairn  Island  at  0  35  p.m.  of  the  5th 
instant,  and  shortening  all  sail,  from  royals  and  studding- 
sails  to  top-sails  and  jib,  as  we  rounded  the  point  which 
brought  us  in  sight  of  the  landing-place,  we  stood  in  un- 
der easy  sail  and  hove  to,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  isl- 
anders an  opportunity  of  boarding  us  ;  but  it  was  not  till 
2  30  p.m.  that  two  little  canoes,  each  paddled  by  one  man 
only,  came  off.  These  two  men  proved  to  be  William 
Mayhew  Young  and  Moses  Young,  cousins,  aged  thirty- 
three  and  thirty,  and  from  them  the  following  information 
was  obtained : 

"  Of  the  original  islanders  who  had  returned,  and  who, 
with  one  infant  born  since  their  return,  form  at  present  the 
whole  population  of  the  island,  there  are  two  families,  a 
list  of  whose  names  is  inclosed,  the  heads  of  which  are 
William  and  Moses  Young.  William  Young's  wife,  the 
oldest  person  on  the  island,  being  thirty-nine  years  of  age, 
was  the  widow  of  Philip  M'Koy,  and  her  family  by  her 
first  husband  now  form  part  of  the  family  of  William 
Young.  All  the  rest  of  the  children,  except  the  two  eld- 
est M'Koys,  are  quite  young,  and  mostly  females,  the  pro- 
portion of  the  thirteen  children  being  ten  girls  to  three 
boys. 

"  I  questioned  the  men  upon  their  reason  for  leaving  the 
island,  and  they  both  said  it  was  principally  on  account 
of  the  health  of  their  wives,  with  whom  the  climate  of 
Norfolk  Island  did  not  agree,  and  also  that  they  felt  a 


356  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

strong  desire  to  revisit  their  native  country.     These  were 
the  only  reasons  alleged  to  me ;  but  to  the  officers,  with 
whom   they  were  more  confidential,  they  admitted  that 
they  did  not  consider  Norfolk  Island  as  their  own — that 
no  one  could  be  kinder  than  the  Governor  of  New  South 
Wales,  of  whom  they  spoke  with  great  respect,  but  that 
a  school-master  and  a  miller  had  been  placed  among  them, 
who  were  not  of  them,  the  school-master  having  charge  of 
the  sheep  on  the  island,  which  they  had  been  led  to  be- 
lieve would  have  been  their  own  property  ;  and  that  some 
sappers   and  miners,  with  their  wives  and  families,  had 
also  been  quartered  on  the  island ;  that  their  own  magis- 
trates, formerly  only  responsible  to  the  people  themselves, 
were  now  held  responsible  by  Government  for  the  per- 
formance of  certain  obligations  by  the  people ;  and  that  al- 
together they  found  it  was  so  different  from  the  life  of  free- 
dom and  irresponsibility,  to  all  but  themselves  and  their 
elected  magistrates,  they  had  led  at  Pitcairn,  that  they 
had  a  longing  to  be  back  to  the  island,  where  nobody 
could  interfere  with  them,  however  good  and  kind  the  in- 
tention, and  however  necessary,  perhaps,  the  interference. 
All  this  was  said  not  in  the  tones  of  complaint  against  the 
authorities,  but  rather  in  self-exculpation  of  what  might  be 
deemed  their  fickleness   of  mind;   and  whatever  justice 
there  may  be  in  these  arguments,  the  first  and  great  rea- 
son for  their  return,  and  which  could  not  veil  itself  from 
our  observation,  was  evidently  the  longing  for  the  land  of 
their  birth,  the  land  where  their  forefathers  were  buried. 
Moses  Young  exclaimed  as  we  went  on  shore,  pointing  to 
the  English  ensign  they  had  hoisted,  'Ah !  there's  the  flag 
I  shall  be  buried  under;'  and  William  Young  told  the  sen- 
ior lieutenant  that  no  one  belonging  to  him  should  ever 
leave  the  island  again  if  he  could  help  it. 

"  The  present  inhabitants  of  Pitcairn  left  Norfolk  Island 
on  the  28th  of  November,  1858,  in  the  Mary  Ann,  English 
trader,  which  they  hired  to  take  them  over.  The  govern- 
or (Sir  William  Denison)  was  aware,  they  said,  of  their  in- 
tention, and  had  given  his  permission;  and  Mr.  Nobbs, 


THE  RE-EMIGBANTS  TO  PITCAIRN,  1860.  357 

though  sorry  to  part  with  his  relative,  the  wife  of  William 
Young,  had  also  sanctioned  and  advised  their  return. 

"  In  the  literally  infant  state  of  this  colony  they  have  as 
yet  no  recognized  laws  and  no  magistrate;  but  it  is  the 
intention  of  the  heads  of  the  two  families,  as  their  children 
grow  up,  to  establish  the  same  rules  which  have  been 
handed  down  to  them  from  the  time  of  old  John  Adams. 
Mr.  Arthy  (the  chaplain)  questioned  both  the  men  and 
women  as  to  their  observance  of  religious  duties,  and  as- 
certained that  the  children  had  been  baptized  when  born, 
and  that  they  had  church  service  morning  and  evening 
on  Sundays,  besides  daily  morning  and  evening  family 
prayer. 

11  The  island  had  been  perfectly  healthy  ever  since  their 
return,  one  death  only  having  occurred,  that  of  an  infant 
seven  days  old,  the  child  of  William  Young. 

"Having  ascertained  that  the  landing  was  perfectly 
practicable,  I  landed  in  the  cutter,  accompanied  by  the 
second  lieutenant,  the  chaplain,  and  Moses  Young.  We 
landed  at  high-tide  in  Bounty  Bay,  and  though  there  was 
a  good  breeze  from  the  south-east,  we  had  no  difficulty 
whatever  in  reaching  shore  quite  dry.  The  island  has 
been  so  well  described,  and  will  be  so  familiar  to  the 
mind,  that  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  repeat  any  descrip- 
tion of  its  beauty. 

"  We  found,  after  clambering  up  the  ascent,  that  the 
church  and  school-room  were  sadly  dilapidated,  and  the 
whole  of  the  houses  were  unroofed,  except  the  two  which 
the  two  families  had  taken  possession  of.  This  had  been 
done,  and  the  material,  planks  and  nails,  used  for  build- 
ing a  boat  (which  boat  I  saw  at  Tahiti),  by  some  men 
who  had  been  shipwrecked  at  Pitcairn  during  the  absence 
of  its  inhabitants. 

"  The  houses  we  went  into  were  neat  and  clean,  resem- 
bling in  the  interior  the  cabin  of  a  merchant-ship,  with  a 
row  of  six  bunks  on  one  side. 

"  We  found  the  farms  well  stocked  with  a  quantity  of 
breeding  sows  and  fattening  hogs  (all  well-bred  animals), 


358  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

goats,  and  poultry,  having  the  appearance  of  the  farm  of  a 
thriving  tenant-farmer  in  England.  The  island,  moreover, 
we  were  told,  abounded  in  wild  goats  and  poultry,  and 
that  wild  cattle,  from  the  original  stock  presented  by  Ad- 
miral Moresby,  had  increased  so  greatly  and  had  become 
so  fierce  that  they  were  obliged  to  kill  them  off,  and  had 
shot  six-and- twenty  since  their  return. 

"  One  whaler  had  visited  the  island  a  few  months  since, 
and  had  been  supplied  with  stock  and  water.  I  asked, 
in  case  of  crops  failing,  what  they  would  live  on  ?  They 
seemed  to  be  amused  at  the  question,  and  said,  unless 
they  chose,  there  would  be  no  absolute  necessity  for  their 
having  crops  at  all ;  that  bread-fruit,  taro,  and  peas  grew 
wild  and  in  abundance,  and  that,  independent  of  the  cat- 
tle, there  were  wild  goats  and  poultry  enough  to  supply 
them  with  flesh  and  fowl  for  years. 

"  In  conclusion,  I  have  to  remark  that  the  men  appeared 
to  be  sensible,  hard-working,  steady,  good  men  (neither  of 
them  when  on  board  would  touch  any  thing  but  water) ; 
the  women  modest,  pleasing,  and  homely  in  their  manners; 
and  the  children  neither  shy  nor  bold,  and  all  appeared 
healthy.  I  have  no  misgiving  but  that,  under  God's  prov- 
idence, Pitcairn,  with  the  nucleus  of  inhabitants  it  now  pos- 
sesses— fewer  far  than  those  who  first  landed  there  from 
the  Bounty — will  in  time  have  again  to  throw  off  its 
swarm;  the  only  fear  which  presents  itself  being  as  to 
what  is  to  become  of  these  women  and  helpless  children 
if  any  thing  should  happen  to  the  two  men.  And  again, 
when  these  ten  girls  are  grown  up,  with  only  three  boys 
and  perhaps  two  old  men  to  protect  them,  what  might  be 
the  consequence  of  the  godless  crew  of  a  whaler  landing 
on  the  island  ? 

"  We  were  told  by  both  men  and  women  that  they  were 
in  almost  certain  expectation  of  being  joined  by  five  other 
families  from  Norfolk  Island ;  and,  for  the  reasons  given, 
and  on  account  of  the  very  great  disparity  of  numbers  in 
the  two  sexes,  it  is  to  be  hoped  more  will  return ;  and  for 
my  part,  having  now  seen  their  island  home,  I  have  no 


PITCAIRN  ISLAND,  1861. 


359 


doubt  in  my  own  mind  that  the  love  of  the  native  soil 
will  induce  more  to  revisit  it. 

"As  I  shook  hands  with  the  women  in  parting,  I  asked 
if  they  were  really  glad  they  had  returned,  to  which  they 
both  replied, c  Oh  yes,  indeed  !'  with  an  unmistakable  ear- 
nestness as  to  their  happiness  in  being  again  at  home. 

"  The  evening  was  now  drawing  in,  and  I  was  anxious 
to  get  the  Youngs  on  shore,  and  to  take  my  own  depart- 
ure before  it  was  quite  dark.  I  returned  to  the  ship,  hav- 
ing previously  deposited  with  our  island  friends,  who  were 
gratefully  anxious  to  make  us  some  return,  sundry  carpen- 
ters' tools,  shot,  powder,  yards  of  calico,  needles,  thread, 
locks,  hinges,  screws,  etc.,  together  with  slates  and  pencils, 
writing-paper,  and  a  number  of  books,  a  large  box  of  what 
were  considered  necessaries  having  been  made  up  between 
myself  and  the  officers.  The  cutter  having  been  hoisted 
up,  and  the  canoes  having  taken  their  departure,  sail  was 
made  on  the  ship,  and  we  stood  off  from  the  land  and  pro- 
ceeded in  the  prosecution  of  our  voyage  to  Valparaiso." 

Population  of  Pitcairn  Island  on  the  Calypso' 


William  Mayhew  Young. 
Margaret  (late  M'Koy)... 
Elizabeth  Maude 


isit  in  October,  1861. 

Years.  Months, 
aged    33 

"       39 

"         1         11 


The  following  are  MargareVs  children  by  former  husband. 


Sarah  M'Koy 

James  Russell , 

Harriet  Malicia , 

Alice  Sophia 

Mary  Anne , 

Rebecca  Holman , 

Moses  Young  (cousin  to  William  Mayhew) . 

Albini ; 

Elizabeth 

Charles  Vider 

Sarah  Grace : 

Jane  Unez        \    ,     .    . 

Mercy  Amelia)  ^         ' 

Mathew  Richard 


Years.  Months. 
17 
15 
13 
10 

9 

8 
30 
31 
12 
10 

5 


360  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

A  later  visit  to  Pitcairn  Island  is  that  recorded  by  Sir 
Wentworth  Dilke  in  "  Greater  Britain,"  published  1869  : 

"After  traversing  lonely  and  hitherto  unknown  seas, 
and  looking  in  vain  for  a  new  guano  island,  on  the  six- 
teenth day  we  worked  out  the  ship's  position  at  noon  with 
more  than  usual  care,  if  that  were  possible,  and  found  that 
in  four  hours  we  ought  to  be  at  Pitcairn  Island.  At  half- 
past  two  o'clock  land  was  sighted  right  ahead,  and  by 
four  o'clock  we  were  in  the  bay,  such  as  it  is,  at  Pitcairn. 
Although  at  sea  there  was  a  calm,  the  ground-swell  beat 
heavily  upon  the  shore,  and  we  were  fain  to  content  our- 
selves with  the  view  of  the  island  from  our  decks.  It  con- 
sists of  a  single  volcanic  peak,  hung  with  an  arras  of  green 
creeping  plants,  passion-flowers,  and  trumpet-vines.  As 
for  the  people,  they  came  off  to  us  dancing  over  the  seas 
in  their  canoes,  and  bringing  us  green  oranges  and  banan- 
as, while  a  huge  union-jack  was  run  up  on  their  flag-staff 
by  those  who  remained  on  shore. 

"  As  the  first  man  came  on  deck  he  rushed  to  the  cap- 
tain, and  shaking  hands  violently,  cried  in  pure  English 
entirely  free  from  accent,  'How  do  you  do,  captain? 
How's  Victoria?'  There  was  no  disrespect  in  the  omis- 
sion of  the  title  •  Queen ;'  the  question  seemed  to  come 
from  the  heart.  The  bright-eyed  lads,  Adams  and  Young, 
descendants  of  the  Bounty  mutineers,  who  had  been  the 
first  to  climb  our  sides,  announced  the  coming  of  Moses 
Young,  the  '  magistrate '  of  the  isle,  who  presently  board- 
ed us  in  state.  He  was  a  grave  and  gentlemanly  man, 
English  in  appearance,  but  somewhat  slightly  built,  as 
were,  indeed,  the  lads.  The  magistrate  came  off  to  lay 
before  the  captain  the  facts  relating  to  a  feud  which  ex- 
ists between  two  parties  of  the  islanders,  and  upon  which 
they  require  arbitration.  A  widow,  who  returned  with 
the  others,  claims  a  third  of  the  whole  island  as  having 
been  the  property  of  her  late  husband,  and  is  supported 
in  her  demand  by  half  the  islanders,  while  Moses  Young 
and  the  remainder  of  the  people  admit  the  facts,  but  as- 


PIT  CAIRN  ISLAND,  1869.  361 

sert  that  the  desertion  of  the  island  was  complete,  and 
operated  as  an  entire  abandonment  of  titles,  which  the  re- 
occupation  can  not  revive.  The  success  of  the  woman's 
claim,  they  say,  would  be  the  destruction  of  the  prosperity 
of  Pitcairn. 

"  When  we  had  drawn  up  a  case  to  be  submitted  to  Sir 
John  Young,  our  captain  made  a  commercial  treaty  with 
the  magistrate,  who  agreed  to  supply  the  ships  of  the  new 
line,  whenever  daylight  allowed  them  to  call  at  Pitcairn, 
with  oranges,  bananas,  ducks,  and  fowls,  for  which  he  was 
to  receive  cloth  and  tobacco  in  exchange,  tobacco  being 
the  money  of  the  Polynesian  archipelago. 

"  Mr.  Young  told  us  that  his  people  had  thirty  sheep, 
which  were  owned  by  each  of  the  families  in  turn,  the 
household  taking  care  of  them  and  receiving  the  profits 
for  one  year.  Water,  he  said,  sometimes  fell  short  in  the 
island,  but  they  then  make  use  of  the  juice  of  the  green 
cocoa-nut.  Their  school  is  excellent ;  all  the  children  can 
read  and  write ;  and  in  the  election  of  magistrates  they 
have  female  suffrage. 

"When  wre  went  on  deck  again  to  talk  to  the  young 
men,  Adams  asked  us  a  new  question :  *  Have  you  a  "  Sun- 
day at  Home,"  or  a  "  British  Workman  ?" '  What  was  the 
answer  ?  '  No  !'  Our  books  and  papers  having  been  ran- 
sacked, Moses  Young  prepared  to  leave  the  ship,  taking 
with  him  presents  from  the  stores.  Besides  the  cloth, 
tobacco,  hats,  and  linen,  there  was  a  bottle  of  brandy 
given  for  medicine,  as  the  islanders  are  strict  teetotallers. 
While  Young  held  the  bottle  in  his  hand,  afraid  to  trust 
the  lads  with  it,  Adams  read  the  label,  and  cried  out, 
' Brandy!  How  much  for  a  dose?  .  .  ...  Oh  yes,  all 
right ;  I  know :  it's  good  for  the  women.'  When  they  at 
last  left  the  ship's  side,  one  of  the  canoes  was  filled  with  a 
crinoline  and  blue  silk  dress  for  Mrs.  Young,  and  another 
with  a  red  and  brown  tartan  for  Mrs.  Adams,  both  given 
by  Lady  Massenger,  while  the  lads  went  ashore  in  dress- 
coats  and  smoking-caps. 

"  Now  that  the  French,  with  their  singular  habit  of 

16 


362  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

everywhere  annexing  countries  which  other  colonizing  na- 
tions have  rejected,  are  rapidly  occupying  all  the  Polyne- 
sian groups,  except  the  only  ones  that  are  of  value,  name- 
ly, the  Sandwich  Islands  and  New  Zealand,  Pitcairn  be- 
comes of  some  importance  as  a  solitary  British  post  on  the 
very  border  of  the  French  dominions ;  and  it  has  for  us 
the  stronger  claim  to  notice,  which  is  raised  by  the  fact 
that  it  has  figured  for  the  last  few  years  on  the  wrong 
side  of  our  British  budget. 

"As  we  stood  out  from  the  bay  into  the  lonely  seas,  the 
island  peak  showed  a  black  outline  against  a  pale-green 
sky ;  but  in  the  west  the  heavy  clouds  that  in  the  Pacific 
never  fail  to  cumber  the  horizon,  were  glowing  with  a 
crimson  cast  by  the  now  set  sun,  and  the  dancing  wave- 
lets were  tinted  with  reflected  hues." 

The  latest  letter  from  Pitcairn  is  to  Admiral  Sir  Fair- 
fax Moresby,  G.C.B.,  from  John  Buffet t.  He  went  to  pay 
a  visit  to  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Young,  who  had  returned 
there  with  her  husband  and  family,  and  had  been  a  year 
in  Pitcairn,  unable  to  find  a  ship  to  convey  him  to  Auck- 
land in  order  to  return  to  Norfolk  Island.  This  letter, 
which  contains  the  following  extract,  is  dated  Pitcairn 
Island,  July  27th,  1869  : 

"  The  last  merchant-ship  touched  here  last  August,  and 
a  whaler  last  February,  so  that  they  are  very  short  of 
clothing,  and  will,  I  suppose,  have  to  go  back  to  native 
cloth ;  in  fact,  several  ladies  wear  the  native  skirt  now. 
Mr.  Simon  Young  is  school-master  and  pastor,  and  attends 
well  to  those  duties.  He  also  teaches  singing  without 
any  remuneration.  We  ought  to  be  very  thankful  that 
we  are  blessed  with  health,  as  we  have  no  medicine  on  the 
island ;  meat  is  scarce,  so  are  fish.  We  have  some  sheep 
and  goats,  no  cattle ;  and  the  hogs  are  diseased.  There 
has  been  a  failure  with  the  yam  crops,  so  that  our  princi- 
pal food  is  sweet-potatoes  and  plantains.  Oranges  are 
plentiful,  and  bananas,  pine-apples,  etc.,  so  that  we  make 


PIT  CAIRN  ISLAND,  1869.  363 

out  pretty  well  in  the  eating  line.  Moses  Young  is  magis- 
trate this  year,  but  there  are  not  many  law  cases.  Most 
of  them  would  rather  be  on  Norfolk  Island  than  here." 

With  this  notice  of  the  re-colonization  and  present  state 
of  Pitcairn  Island  our  narrative  ends. 

We  have  traced  the  history  of  the  little  community 
through  a  period  of  eighty-three  years,  from  its  first  origin 
in  tyranny  and  crime,  through  a  chain  of  strange  and 
tragical  events,  to  its  final  settlement  in  peace  and  pros- 
perity. A  few  of  the  families  who  composed  it  have  sepa- 
rated from  their  brethren,  and  returned  to  their  "  Rock 
in  the  West ;"  but  the  traditions  of  Pitcairn  and  of  the 
colony  in  Norfolk  Island  are  the  same;  and  the  early 
training  of  John  Adams  laid  the  foundation  of  such  Chris- 
tian principles  among  them,  that  the  errors  and  crimes  of 
"  The  Mutineers  of  the  Bounty  "  are  forgotten  in  the  ex- 
emplary conduct  of  their  descendants. 


APPENDIX   A 


We  have  already  alluded*  to  the  following  letter,  writ- 
ten at  the  request  of  Rear-admiral  Moresby,  and  relating 
the  sixteen  years  of  Mr.  Nobbs's  history,  previous  to  his 
arrival  at  Pitcairn.  Although  very  interesting,  it  has  no 
bearing  on  the  affairs  of  the  islanders,  and  is  therefore 
placed  in  the  Appendix.     The  letter  runs  as  follows  : 

To  Rear-admiral  Fairfax  Moresby,  G.C.B. 

"H.M.S.  Portland,  at  Sea,  May,  1853. 

"My  Honorable  and  Benevolent  Friend, — In  accordance  with 
your  expressed  desire  that  I  should  furnish  you  with  the  data  of  sixteen 
years  of  my  somewhat  eventful  life,  I  submit  for  your  perusal  the  fol- 
lowing superficial,  but,  as  far  as  memory  serves,  correct,  account  Of  my 
whereabouts  from  1812  to  October,  1828. 

"  November,  1811, 1  entered  the  navy,  by  being  placed  on  the  books  of 
H.M.S.  Roebuck,  through  the  interest  of  Rear-admiral  Murray.  Trans- 
ferred first  to  the  Chanticleer,  then  to  the  Snipe — where  I  remained  until 
the  news  of  the  loss  of  the  Hero  in  the  North  Sea — I  was  then  for  certain 
reasons  withdrawn  from  the  service ;  but  in  1813  Admiral  Murray  placed 
me  on  board  the  Indefatigable,  a  naval  store-ship,  commanded  by  a  mas- 
ter in  the  navy  named  Bowles,  and  I  went  in  her  under  the  convoy  of  the 
Duncan  to  New  South  Wales  and  Van  Diemen's  Land.  From  New 
South  Wales  we  had  orders  to  proceed'by  Bass's  Straits  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  but  after  a  vain  attempt  to  beat  through  the  Straits  we  took 
a  fresh  departure  from  New  South  Wales,  shaped  our  course  for  Cape 
Horn,  and  from  thence  across  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  thence  to  St. 
Helena,  and  ultimately  to  England.  I  now  left  the  navy,  and  after  re- 
siding at  home  a  few  months,  received  a  letter  from  my  old  commander, 
offering  to  procure  me  a  berth  on  board  a  ship  of  eighteen  guns,  design- 

*  Page  238. 


366  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

ed  for  the  use  of  the  patriots  in  South  America.  I  accepted  the  offer,  and 
left  England  early  in  1816  for  Valparaiso ;  but  we  were  prevented  en- 
tering, from  the  circumstance  of  the  royalists  having  regained  possession 
of  that  place.  We  accordingly  commenced  cruising  along  the  coast  in 
search  of  prizes,  although  I  am  not  quite  certain  that  our  liberal  com- 
mission had  the  signature  of  any  patriot  chieftain  except  Artigos,  a  Bue- 
nos Ayrean  leader  of  some  note  at  that  period.  Our  cruise,  which  ex- 
tended over  sixteen  months,  was  very  successful  j  but  having  no  port  to 
take  our  prizes  into,  we  were  obliged  to  destroy  them,  so  that  our  emol- 
uments were  not  great.  During  this  cruise,  while  in  charge  of  a  prize, 
I  was  captured  by  a  Spanish  Guarda  Costa,  and  carried  into  Callao.  Oh, 
what  rejoicing  was  there !  The  insurgents,  doubly  ironed,  and  guarded 
by  nearly  a  hundred  soldiers,  were  exposed  to  the  gaze  and  insult  of 
some  thousands,  who  kept  holiday  on  the  occasion.  Walking  about  Cal- 
lao streets  for  months  with  fifty  pounds'  weight  of  iron  attached  to  one's 
person,  and  a  spare  diet  of  beans  and  Chili  peppers,  with  a  stone  for  a 
pillow  at  night,  was  far  from  being  an  agreeable  situation.  However, 
custom  reconciled  us  in  some  degree,  and  after  losing  some  five  or  six 
of  our  party  of  seventeen  by  fever  and  exposure  to  the  sun  while  carry- 
ing stones  to  repair  the  forts,  our  guardians  became  more  remiss,  we  got 
rid  of  our  irons  by  degrees,  and  ultimately  were  left  to  shift  for  ourselves, 
procure  food  when  and  where  we  could,  and  roam  about  the  town  almost 
unnoticed,  sometimes  feasting,  but  more  often  fasting.  Several  weeks 
passed  away,  when  a  sailing  vessel,  called  the  Flying-fish,  of  New  Bed- 
ford, anchored  in  Callao  Bay.  As  I  was  under  no  surveillance,  I  intro- 
duced myself  to  Captain  Fisk,  her  commander,  whom  I  had  frequently 
fallen  in  with  previous  to  my  capture.  He  immediately  agreed  to  secrete 
me  if  I  could  get  on  board  his  ship,  and  as  many  of  my  crew  as  could 
make  their  escape;  and  moreover,  as  he  was  going  to  the  Galapagos 
Islands,  which  was  the  appointed  rendezvous  of  our  ship,  he  would  convey 
us  thither  on  condition  of  receiving  one  hundred  dollars  for  each  person 
taken  on  board,  to  be  paid  on  falling  in  with  our  ship.  Eight  of  us 
made  our  escape,  and  four  days  after  we  ran  into  Tumbey,  where  our 
ship  was  lying.  No  doubt  our  American  benefactor  was  aware  of  this 
when  he  received  us  on  board.  After  cruising  along  the  coast  of  Peru 
for  some  months,  with  various  success,  we  went  off  to  the  Galapagos 
Islands,  where  we  remained  seven  or  eight  weeks,  and  then  resumed  our 
cruising  between  those  islands  and  Panama. 

"  In  the  latter  part  of  1817  we  entered  Valparaiso,  and  were  well  re- 
ceived by  the  authorities,  who  professed  themselves  staunch  patriots.     I 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  Q.  H.  NOBBS.  367 

had  now  an  opportunity  of  forwarding  seven  hundred  dollars  to  my  poor 
mother,  who  much  needed  them.  The  name  of  our  ship  was  now  changed, 
by  order  of  the  Chilian  Government,  from  Santa  Rosa  to  El  Libertador, 
and  fitted  out  for  a  two  years'  cruise  off  Manilla,  with  very  indifferent 
success,  much  sickness,  and  more  privation.  We  remained  along  the 
Eastern  Archipelago  for  eighteen  months,  and  then  returned  poorer  than 
when  we  started.  Being  somewhat  embarrassed  in  pecuniary  matters,  and 
times  very  dull  in  Valparaiso,  I  united  with  thirty-five  others  in  what  ap- 
peared a  desperate  and  foolish  undertaking — no  less  than  going  in  an  open 
launch  to  Arica,  and  attempt  the  cutting  out  of  a  large  merchant-ship 
from  Cadiz,  named  La  Minerva.  Such  a  forlorn  hope  did  the  undertak- 
ing appear,  that  the  landlord  of  the  house  where  I  boarded,  and  to  whom 
I  was  indebted  a  considerable  sum,  offered  to  board  me  for  six  months 
gratis  if  I  abandoned  the  enterprise.  But  go  I  did,  and  this  was  the  re- 
sult of  the  adventure  :  On  Monday,  but  what  day  of  the  month  of  Au- 
gust, 1818,  I  can  not  remember,  we  left  Valparaiso  in  an  open  launch 
commissioned  by  the  supreme  director  of  Chili,  commanded  by  Captain 
James,  seconded  by  a  Lieutenant  Mackay,  the  other  thirty-three  being  of 
equal  rank  as  far  as  prize-money  was  concerned.  On  the  following  Mon- 
day at  dusk  we  entered  Arica,  brought  the  vessel  out  without  much  fight- 
ing, and  the  following  Monday,  that  is,  fifteen  days  from  our  departure 
from  Valparaiso,  we  returned  to  that  port,  to  the  surprise  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  joy  of  our  creditors,  having  honorably  exchanged  our  launch 
for  a  fine  ship  of  seven  hundred  tons,  nearly  full  of  valuable  cargo  intend- 
ed for  Callao.  My  share  of  the  prize  was  two  thousand  dollars,  and  many 
who  reprobated  our  undertaking  at  the  commencement  were  now  loud  in 
their  commendation.  Captain  O'Brien,  of  H.M.  sloop-of-war  Slaney, 
kindly  took  charge  of  one  thousand  dollars  for  my  mother,  which  she  re- 
ceived in  due  time  without  any  deduction  (honor  to  his  memory!). 

"In  February,  1819,  I  took  the  situation  of  prize-master  on  board  a 
forty-gun  ship,  under  Buenos  Ayrean  colors,  named  La  Consequencia, 
commanded  by  Captain  Bouchard,  a  Frenchman.  For  English  officers 
or  seamen  to  be  under  a  French  commander  is  a  bad  arrangement,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  several  prizes  were  lost  from  this  very  circumstance.  Our 
captain  was  a  brave  man,  but  no  sailor,  and  there  was  a  want  of  confi- 
dence in  him.  We,  however,  captured  three  or  four  valuable  prizes,  but  I 
forfeited  my  part  by  taking  French  leave  at  Tumbey,  where  I  nearly  lost 
my  life  from  hardships  encountered  in  the  woods  while  attempting  to  dis- 
cover a  road  to  Guayaquil ;  fortunately,  I  did  not  succeed,  or  in  all  prob- 
ability I  should  have  been  shot  as  an  insurgent.     I  retraced  my  way  back 


368  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

to  the  sea-coast,  and  got  on  board  an  English  whaler,  called  the  Sydney 
Packet.  Captain  Emmert  treated  me  with  much  kindness,  and  after  re- 
maining some  months  on  board  I  landed  at  Talcahuans  April  20th, 
1820.  May  7th,  at  midnight,  Talcahuans  was  attacked  by  Benevedes  and 
his  Indian  troops.  The  Chilian  garrison,  fifteen  in  number,  were  put  to 
the  sword,  a  number  of  the  inhabitants  killed  and  wounded,  the  town 
sacked,  and  a  large  number  of  prisoners,  myself  included,  carried  off. 
The  next  morning  the  troops  from  Concepcion  came  in  pursuit  of  us,  and 
overtook  us  as  we  were  crossing  a  river ;  a  few  of  Benevedes's  soldiers 
were  killed,  and  the  prisoners  and  much  of  the  plunder  recaptured.  Soon 
after  this  affair  I  returned  to  Valparaiso,  and  engaged  as  first  officer  of 
the  Minerva,  the  ship  I  had  assisted  in  cutting  out  at  Arica,  she  being 
hired  by  the  Chilian  Government  as  a  transport  for  carrying  a  part  of 
San  Martin's  liberating  army  to  Peru.  We  left  Valparaiso  in  August, 
1820,  and  after  some  delays  ultimately  landed  our  troops  at  Huatcho. 
On  the  5th  of  November  I  took  a  part  in  the  cutting  out  of  the  Spanish 
frigate  Esmeraldas  from  under  Callao  batteries.  This  gallant  achieve- 
ment was  planned  and  headed  by  Lord  Cochrane,  of  whose  valor  and  skill 
it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  any  thing.  On  the  return  of  the  Minerva 
to  Valparaiso  I  carried  with  me  a  letter  of  commendation  for  my  conduct 
in  the  Esmeraldas  affair,  from  Lord  Cochrane  to  General  Cruy,  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Valparaiso.  I  was  in  consequence  appointed  to  the  Chilian 
sloop- of- war  Chavabrios,  and  in  a  short  time  received  a  lieutenant's  com- 
mission. In  September,  1821,  two  launches,  one  of  which  I  commanded, 
were  dispatched  from  our  ship  in  the  night  to  cut  out  an  armed  brig,  and 
after  a  severe  conflict  and  the  loss  of  several  men  we  succeeded  in  captur- 
ing her.  This  affair  took  place  at  the  back  of  the  Island  of  St.  Mary. 
All  I  got  for  this  affair,  besides  a  little  praise,  was  a  pair  of  epaulettes 
from  a  boxful  found  in  the  captain's  cabin.  Shortly  after  this  I  was  or- 
dered up  a  river  near  the  town  of  Arico,  to  endeavor  to  recover  a  quanti- 
ty of  property  belonging  to  British  and  American  merchants,  and  which, 
with  the  vessel  containing  it,  had  been  most  audaciously  seized  by  the 
treacherous  miscreant,  Benevedes.  After  ascending  the  river  as  far  as  I 
deemed  prudent,  and  finding  nothing  of  consequence,  I  gave  orders  to  turn 
round  and  pull  back  again.  We  had  just  commenced  our  retrograde 
movement,  impelled  by  a  strong  tide,  and  the  boat's  crew  had  just  gone 
aft  to  splice  the  main  brace,  when  crash  went  half  a  hundred  muskets ;  one 
of  our  boat's  crew  was  killed,  and  two  or  three  wounded.  So  long  as  we 
proceeded  up  the  river  we  were  unmolested,  but  directly  we  attempted  go- 
ing back,  the  enemy,  from  behind  the  high  banks  of  the  river,  commenced 


AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  O.  H.  NOBBS.  369 

a  murderous  fire.  We  had  a  twelve-pound  carronade  in  the  launch,  but 
the  enemy  were  enabled  to  screen  themselves  so  effectually  behind  the 
banks  that  neither  gun  nor  musket  had  any  effect ;  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  to  pull  for  it,  a  strong  tide  being  in  our  favor  ;  but  the  enemy,  be- 
ing on  horseback,  headed  us,  and  kept  constantly  pouring  volleys  of  mus- 
ketry into  us,  without  the  possibility  of  return.  At  length,  just  before 
reaching  the  last  bend  of  the  river,  a  dozen  or  two  of  the  enemy  showed 
themselves  on  the  bank,  a  short  distance  astern  of  us.  We  gave  them  the 
big  gun,  and  probably  killed  several  of  them ;  but  we  found  to  our  cost 
this  was  a  stratagem  to  induce  us  to  discharge  our  carronade,  for  the  mo- 
ment after,  a  large  boat  filled  with  soldiers,  hitherto  concealed  by  the  bend 
of  the  river,  clapped  alongside  of  us,  and  in  our  wretched  state — forty- 
eight  killed  and  wounded  out  of  sixty-four — soon  overpowered  us.  I  re- 
ceived a  blow  on  the  back  of  my  neck  from  the  butt-end  of  a  musket, 
which  sent  me  stumbling  forward  at  a  great  rate :  from  the  effects  of  that 
blow  I  am  suffering  most  severely  at  times.  All  the  dead  bodies,  and 
such  as  could  not  walk  from  the  severity  of  their  wounds,  were  without 
hesitation  thrown  into  the  river.  The  remainder  were  landed  and  strip- 
ped of  their  clothing,  and  a  rag  of  some  sort  or  other  given  in  exchange. 
As  for  myself,  I  was  quickly  divested  of  my  uniform,  and  an  old  pair  of 
trowsers  cut  off  at  the  knees,  with  a  worn-out  poncho  and  an  old  Spanish 
sombrero,  were  given  in  return.  We  were  then  marched  off  to  prison, 
where  we  remained  three  weeks.  Every  Chilian  of  our  party  was  shot, 
and  myself  and  three  Europeans  exchanged  for  four  of  Benevedes's  offi- 
cers, after  much  entreaty  on  his  part,  one  of  them — a  major — being  his 
wife's  brother.  Soon  after  this  I  returned  to  Valparaiso,  and  found  a  let- 
ter from  my  mother  urging  my  return  home.  I  consequently  quitted  the 
Chilian  navy,  and  went  home  a  passenger  in  the  Elizabeth,  of  London. 
My  mother's  death  took  place  soon  after. 

"In  October,  1822,  I  was  sent  to  Naples,  and  on  my  passage  from 
that  city  to  Messina,  in  a  Neapolitan  vessel,  she  foundered  off  the  Lipari 
Islands,  and,  with  the  loss  of  every  thing,  we  proceeded  to  Messina  in  the 
boats.  In  May,  1823,  I  returned  to  London  in  the  Crescent,  commanded 
by  William  Pitt,  a  navy  lieutenant.  In  October  I  went  to  Sierra  Leone, 
as  chief  mate  to  a  ship  called  the  Gambia.  Of  nineteen  persons  who 
went  out  in  that  vessel,  the  captain,  myself,  and  two  colored  men  lived  to 
return.  In  June,  1824,  I  went  to  Sierra  Leone,  commander  of  the  same 
ship,  and  was  six  weeks  on  shore  sick  with  the  fever ;  however,  it  pleased 
God  to  restore  my  health  in  time  to  return  with  my  ship,  but  I  resigned  my 
command  on  my  return.     I  now  collected  what  little  property  I  had,  re- 

10* 


370  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

solving  to  leave  England  forever.  Pitcairn  Island  was  the  spot  I  had  in 
view  for  my  future  residence.  The  Circassian,  a  country  ship,  was  bound 
for  Calcutta ;  her  captain,  an  old  acquaintance,  offered  me  a  passage.  I 
went  on  board,  and  left  England  on  the  12th  of  November,  1825.  After  a 
tedious  passage  we  arrived  at  Diamond  Harbor,  in  May,  1826.  I  remain- 
ed in  Calcutta  till  August,  1827,  when  I  took  passage  in  a  New  York 
ship,  called  the  Ocean,  for  Valparaiso,  by  way  of  Singapore,  Rio,  and  other 
places  thereabout.  In  November  we  arrived  at  Valparaiso,  from  thence 
to  Callao,  and  after  much  detention  and  expense  I  left  Callao  for  Pitcairn 
Island,  in  a  cutter  of  eighteen  tons'  burden,  with  one  other  person  besides 
myself  composing  her  crew.  In  six  weeks  we  arrived  at  Pitcairn,  met 
with  a  good  reception,  and  up  to  the  present  day  I  have  never  regretted 
the  determination  I  formed  on  the  demise  of  my  beloved  parent. 

"  With  the  details  of  the  last  twenty-five  years  you  are  intimately  ac- 
quainted, and  to  you,  my  honored  and  venerated  benefactor,  I  owe  my 
present  enviable  situation,  and  from  you  and  yours  I  have  received  more 
substantial  favors,  pecuniary  and  influential,  within  the  last  twelve  months, 
than  I  ever  received  in  all  my  life.  That  Almighty  God  may  return  them 
to  you  a  thousand-fold  is  the  humble  but  sincere  prayer  of  your  grateful 
servant,  George  H.  Nobbs, 

"  Chaplain  of  Pitcairn" 

The  Pitcairn  girls  were  in  the  habit  of  writing  to  their 
naval  friends  in  England  as  a  proof  that  they  did  not  for- 
get their  kindness,  nor  the  pleasure  their  visits  had  afford- 
ed them.  So  little  varied  was  the  even  tenor  of  their 
lives,  so  few  merchant  vessels  touched  at  Norfolk  Island, 
that  they  were  not  likely  to  forget  the  former  pleasant 
days  spent  at  Pitcairn. 

The  following  letter  is  selected  as  a  good  specimen  of 
their  style  of  correspondence,  and  proves  that  Susan  Nobbs 
was  satisfied  with  her  new  home  in  Norfolk  Island. 

Susan  Nobbs,  Daughter-in-law  of  the  Pastor,  to  Vice-admiral  Sir 
Fairfax  Moresby,  G.C.B. 

"Norfolk  Island,  September  24th,  1857. 
"  My  dear  Sir, — I  can  not  express  my  joy  on  receiving  the  kind  let- 
ter you  sent  me  by  the  Iris,  and  I  heartily  thank  you  for  the  scolding  you 
gave  me,  and  I  only  wish  it  was  from  your  own  dear  lips.     It  gives  us  all 


SUSAN  NOBBS  AND  DORCAS  YOUNG.  371 

great  pleasure  to  hear  that  you  are  quite  well.  God  grant  that  you  may 
long  continue  to  enjoy  health  and  happiness.  We  are  so  happy  to  hear 
that  our  old  friend,  Fortescue  Moresby,  is  on  board  the  Iris,  and  we  are 
so  anxious  to  see  him ;  the  girls  are  almost  wild  with  joy.  As  soon  as 
the  ship  was  reported  to  be  in  sight,  the  girls  said  they  hoped  Fortescue 
Moresby  was  on  board,  little  thinking  that  their  wish  would  be  realized. 
And  now  I  must  tell  you  about  our  new  home.  You  must  have  heard 
of  our  safe  arrival.  When  we  first  came  on  shore  every  thing  looked  so 
strange  to  us,  but  it  did  not  last  long.  Some  of  our  people  like  Pitcairn 
best,  but  I  think  Norfolk  Island  is  much  better.  We  have  such  beautiful 
houses  and  gardens,  which  give  lots  of  employment  to  keep  them  clean,  and 
we  have  milked  the  cows  and  make  butter.  Our  men  are  employed  in  the 
field,  and  I  assure  you  they  have  enough  to  do.  Norfolk  Island  is  a  much 
healthier  climate  than  Pitcairn,  although  it  is  colder.  We  do  not  go  so  thin- 
ly clad  as  formerly,  and  I  believe  we  are  improving  in  every  thing ;  in  fact, 
we  are  having  every  thing  after  the  English  fashion.  It  is  a  great  advan- 
tage for  us  to  be  so  near  the  colonies,  for  we  can  easily  get  what  we  want. 
"  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you  about  my  own  family.  My  first  little 
baby  survived  but  a  few  hours,  and  then  took  its  flight  to  a  better  world. 
And  now  I  have  two  dear  little  girls,  one  called  Kathleen  Laura ;  the 
other,  who  was  the  first  born  on  Norfolk  Island,  was  called  Eliza  Louisa, 
after  Lady  Moresby.  Your  friend  Esther  Quintal  is  always  talking  about 
you ;  she  is  quite  well.  There  are  lots  of  children  born  here.  Please  tell 
Mary  White  that  I  am  so  thankful  for  her  kind  present,  and  I  hope  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  White  are  quite  well  and  happy.  The  report  you  heard  about 
our  young  men  going  to  Sydney  for  wives  is  false,  for  there  are  many  al- 
ready engaged,  and  they  are  still  preferring  their  countrywomen ;  and  I 
expect  when  next  I  write  to  you  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  saying  that 
Ann  Nobbs  has  changed  her  name  to  Mrs.  Quintal,  for  she  is  already  en- 
gaged to  my  brother." 

The  next  letter,  written  by  Dorcas  Young,  is  a  valuable 
and  affectionate  tribute  of  respect  to  the  character  of  their 
pastor,  some  unworthy  person  in  England  having  spoken 
injuriously  of  him. 

Dorcas  Young  to  Vice-admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby,  G.C.B. 

"October  13th,  1857. 
"  My  very  dear  Admiral, — Dear  good  little  Forty  has  again  come 
to  see  us.     Glad,  glad,  truly  glad  to  see  him  were  all  of  our  people,  not 


372  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

only  for  his  own  dear  self,  but  for  that  of  his  (and  ours  too)  dear  good  fa- 
ther, Admiral  Moresby. 

\ '  Old  times,  and  old  associations  and  recollections,  came  vividly  to  my 
mind,  and  I  did,  in  a  measure,  live  over  again  a  few  of  those  happy  hours 
spent  at  dear  little  Pitcairn.  If  you  could  only  fancy  to  yourself  a  road 
some  three  and  a  half  miles  in  length,  with  only  two  solitary  persons  upon 
it  at  first,  and  then  one,  and  another,  and  another,  and  so  on  until  half 
the  population  was  hanging  around,  kissing  and  shaking  hands,  and  ex- 
pressing their  joy  in  a  thousand  different  ways,  you  may  form  some  idea 
of  Forty  and  his  retinue,  from  his  landing  at  the  back  of  the  island  to  the 
settlement.  The  delight  at  meeting  was  mutual.  We  were  delighted, 
and  so  was  Forty  ;  but  he  had  the  worst  of  it — he  saw  and  can  learn  for 
himself  how  all  his  Pitcairn  friends  are;  but  we,  poor  things,  had  to  press 
him  with  a  thousand  and  one  questions  concerning  our  very  dear  friends 
of  the  Portland.  He  was,  I  am  sure,  bewildered  with  the  showers  of 
anxious  questions  heaped  upon  him,  and  by  the  time  he  went  to  bed  his 
patience  must  have  been  severely  taxed. 

"There  was  only  one  circumstance  calculated  to  throw  a  shade  over 
this  happy  meeting,  and  that  is  the  circulation  of  certain  scandalous 
and  most  unchristian  reports  in  England  concerning  our  worthy  pastor. 
There  must  certainly  be  persons  in  existence  of  whose  natures  we  have 
never  dreamed.  Always  uniformly  kind,  not  only  to  our  people,  but  to 
all  strangers  visiting  us — the  meanest  as  well  as  the  greatest — he  is  will- 
ing and  ready  to  give  his  advice  whenever  asked  for,  helping  and  endeav- 
oring to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  community  in  every  thing,  and  doing 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  happiness  of  all  around  him.  It  does 
seem  strange  to  us  that  such  a  person  should,  above  all  others,  be  fixed 
upon  for  the  dart  of  slander.  I  have  seen  him  leave  his  comfortable  bed 
in  his  own  house,  and  through  the  rain  and  the  mud  go  to  watch  over  the 
sick,  to  administer  relief  both  bodily  and  mentally  night  after  night  and 
day  after  day,  until  their  eyes  are  either  closed  in  death  or  they  are  re- 
stored to  health. 

' '  You  must  not  understand  me,  my  dear  admiral,  to  mean  that  he  is 
perfect  in  every  thing.  No,  we  have  all  our  weak  points  in  common  with 
the  rest  of  mankind.  The  fruits  of  Adam's  fall  are  here  visible  too.  Nat- 
ural inborn  sin  is  here,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  this  wide  world,  too 
plainly  developed ;  but  I  hope  and  pray  that,  led  on  and  favored  with  so 
many  of  this  world's  goods,  we  may  strive  more  earnestly  to  walk  in  the 
ways  of  Him  from  whom  cometh  all  things. 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  admiral,  when  I  tell  you  that  we  are  alive  to  our 


THE  GAMBIER  ISLANDS.  373 

faults ;  we  know  that  we  are  far  short  of  what  we  ought  to  be ;  we  know, 
too,  that  we  must  be  strengthened  and  renewed  day  by  day  with  more  light 
and  wisdom  from  on  high,  or  else  we  must  be  and  are  utterly  undone. 

"We  have  been  encouraged  and  cheered  on  in  the  path  of  duty  by  the 
approving  smiles  of  some  few  friends,  who  have  so  very  kindly  interested 
themselves  in  our  welfare  as  to  bring  us  from  the  threshold  of  heathenism 
into  the  broad  beams  of  Gospel  light.  Foremost  among  these  never-to- 
be-forgotten  friends  stands  Vice-admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Moresby.  Yes,  my 
dear  good  admiral,  as  long  as  the  heart  of  a  Pitcairner  beats  in  his  bosom 
you  will  be  remembered  and  cherished  there. 

"Forty  has  been  busy  all  day  taking  photographs  of  our  people.  He 
will  doubtless  send  you  many,  if  not  all  of  them.  I  suppose  you  will  rec- 
ognize your  old  Pitcairn  friends,  all  of  whom  still  recollect  the  visit  of  the 
Portland  as  if  it  was  a  thing  of  yesterday's  occurrence.  Happy  times ! 
we  love  to  think  and  to  speak  of  it.  Do  you  still  think  of  us  at  times  ? 
Yes,  I  fancy  you  must  think  of  us,  for  I  assure  you  we  seldom  find  any 
amusement  that  will  afford  us  so  much  solid  gratification  as  talking  of  the 
dear  old  Portland. 

"  I  hope,  my  dear  admiral,  you  will  not  suffer  the  reports  I  allude  to  to 
disturb  your  peace  of  mind.  I  know  they  must  materially  affect  you,  but 
allow  me  to  say  that  if  you  only  knew  how  very  little  truth  is  contained  in 
them  you  would  not  for  a  moment  heed  them. 

"Please  to  give  my  kindest  love  and  regards  to  all  inquiring  friends, 
and  believe  me,  my  dear  admiral, 

"  Yours  ever  truly  and  affectionately,  Dorcas  Young." 


APPENDIX    B. 

Mr.  Nobbs,  in  a  letter  to  Admiral  Sir  Fairfax  Mores- 
by, gives  the  following  account  of  the  Gambier  Islands : 

"My  Honored  Friend, — It  was  in  the  year  1834  that  I  first  went 
ro  the  Gambier  Islands,  in  the  bark  Pomarre,  of  Tahiti,  Thomas  Ebriell 
'•ommander.  The  first  thing  you  observe  in  the  distance  is  Mount  Duff, 
situated  on  the  principal  island  (Mangariva),  and  which  may  be  seen  on  a 
clear  day  fifty  miles  distant.  The  next  object  most  likely  to  draw  your 
attention  is  a  long  and  dangerous  reef  at  the  north  end  of  the  barrier. 


374  THE  MUTINEERS  OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

This  long  reef  extends  several  miles  from  the  barrier,  or  circular  reef, 
which  surrounds  the  islands,  they  consisting  of  four  inhabited  and  several 
other  smaller  ones.  Their  names,  in  the  order  of  size,  are  Mangariva, 
Akamarn,  Terawai,  and  Arkana.  The  natives  I  found  most  hospitable 
and  docile,  myself  and  family  dwelling  among  them  for  the  space  of  nine 
months  in  perfect  peace  and  serenity.  Animals  fit  for  food  they  had  none. 
The  bread-fruit  in  its  natural  state  during  the  season,  and  for  the  remain- 
der of  the  year  in  an  acetous  state,  constitutes  their  daily  food,  with  the 
addition  of  fish  occasionally,  which  they  take  in  nets.  The  French  have 
nominal  possession  of  these  islands ;  here  they  first  commenced  their  in- 
sidious and  unchristian  usurpation  in  these  seas.  A  few  months  after  my 
having  taken  up  my  abode  among  these  simple  and  singular  people,  an 
American  schooner,  named  Peruvian,  arrived  there  from  Valparaiso,  hav- 
ing on  board  two  French  priests,  and  an  Irishman  named  Murphy,  who 
was  the  superintendent  of  their  secular  affairs.  The  schooner  was  bound 
to  Tahiti,  and  her  calling  at  the  Gambier  Islands  was  quite  accidental ; 
but  the  captain,  hearing  I  was  living  there  very  comfortably,  and,  I  sup- 
pose, wishing  to  get  rid  of  his  passengers,  persuaded  them  to  take  up  their 
residence  there  also.  Accordingly,  they  came  to  my  place  of  abode  to  in- 
quire if  I  had  any  objection  to  their  remaining,  our  mutual  object — they 
were  pleased  to  say — being  to  humanize  the  natives ;  and  moreover 
would  I  use  my  influence  with  the  king,  or  some  one  of  the  chiefs,  in  or- 
der to  their  obtaining  a  commodious  dwelling.  Not  considering  myself 
justified  in  procuring  their  expulsion  (which  I  could  easily  have  done), 
I  told  them  the  large  island  was  altogether  under  my  care,  and  that 
they  must  not  interfere  with  my  arrangements  (I  had  then,  by  and  with 
the  consent  of  the  chiefs  and  people,  commenced  idol-burning) ;  but  that, 
if  they  would  be  content  to  reside  upon  one  of  the  smaller  islands  I  would 
see  them  properly  cared  for.  To  this  they  readily  acceded,  and  selected 
the  Island  of  Arkana,  where  the  natives  provided  them  with  a  comfortable 
house. 

"There  they  dwelt  during  the  time  I  remained  at  Mangariva,  nor  did 
they  trouble  or  interfere  with  me  in  any  way,  merely  coming  once  a  month, 
in  full  canonicals,  to  pay  me  a  visit  ostensibly,  though  from  the  circum- 
stance of  their  always  making  a  tour  of  the  islands  before  they  returned 
home,  I  presume  that  to  '  spy  out  the  land '  was  their  chief  object.  How- 
ever, they  gave  me  no  occasion  of  offense,  for  they  easily  saw  that  my  in- 
fluence with  the  chiefs  was  too  firm  for  them  to  undermine  ;  but  the  mo- 
ment I  left  for  Pitcairn  they  wrote  to  Valparaiso  for  a  French  ship-of-war 
to  visit  them,  and  on  her  arrival  declared  the  place  a  French  colony, 


THE  GAMBIER  ISLANDS.  375 

hoisted  the  tri-color  flag,  and  commenced  building  a  convent.  I  am  not 
aware  the  islands  have  ever  been  garrisoned  or  fortified  by  the  French. 

"  The  natives,  when  I  went  among  them  twenty  years  ago,  though  con- 
firmed idolaters,  were  singularly  temperate,  peaceable,  and  hospitable, 
which,  if  recent  accounts  are  true,  is  not  the  case  at  present.  Another 
most  honorable  trait  in  their  character,  and  one  most  worthy  of  record,  is 
that  the  women  enjoyed  equal  rights  with  the  men  ;  there  is  no  distinc- 
tion of  inferiority.  They  take  their  meals  together,  and  in  the  evening 
may  be  seen  assembled  on  the  stone  platform  in  front  of  the  houses,  fa- 
ther, mother,  and  children  in  one  indiscriminate  group.  Now  this  can 
not  be  said  of  any  other  island  in  these  seas,  while  it  remained  in  its 
primitive  state.  In  my  evening  walks  I  have  often  been  reminded  of 
more  civilized  countries,  from  the  circumstance  of  hearing  women  soundly 
rating  their  husbands  ;  yet  the  females  in  general  are  very  unlovely  in 
their  appearance,  and  the  men  go  without  a  vestige  of  clothing. 

"There is  a  small  lagoon  sand-bank,  called  Crescent  Island,  some  forty 
or  fifty  miles  from  Gambier,  which  I  believe  may  be  distinguished,  by  the 
help  of  a  telescope,  from  the  summit  of  Mount  Duff.  At  all  events,  Mount 
Duff  is  plainly  discernible  from  this  dangerous  sand-bank. 

"Captain  Ebriell,  being  desirous  of  ascertaining  whether  pearl  oysters 
might  be  obtained, there,  invited  me  to  accompany  him  in  the  search. 
We  accordingly  started,  working  the  vessel  out  through  the  south-east 
passage.  On  our  arrival  at  the  Crescent,  it  was  with  much  difficulty  and 
danger  we  effected  a  landing,  when  to  our  surprise  we  found  about  forty 
persons,  meagre  and  wretched  in  appearance,  inhabiting  it — not  tattooed 
as  is  the  case  with  the  Gambier  Islanders.  The  men  approached  us  fear- 
lessly, but  the  women  kept  at  some  distance.  By  the  help  of  a  Gambier 
islander,  as  interpreter,  we  learned  that,  fifty  or  sixty  years  previous,  their 
progenitors  were  forced  to  quit  Mangariva  on  a  raft,  and  that  after  having 
been  some  time  at  sea  they  succeeded  in  landing  here.  The  refugees  had 
all  died  long  since,  the  people  we  found  there  being  their  offspring.  They 
seemed  quite  satisfied  with  their  lot,  although  the  only  articles  of  food 
they  could  obtain  were  squid,  and  small  fish  taken  in  the  holes  of  the 
coral  reef,  and  the  kernels  of  the  nut  of  the  pandanus  or  screw-palm, 
which  is  the  only  tree  or  vegetable  growing  on  their  sand-bank.  On  our 
return  to  Mangariva  we  related  this  to  the  chiefs  and  others,  who  came 
to  the  determination  to  go  and  bring  them  to  the  land  of  their  fathers. 
Having  no  conveyance  of  their  own,  they  hired  a  large  boat  belonging  to 
Captain  Ebriell  (who  sent  with  them  his  mate  and  some  seamen  to  assist 
them).      Accordingly,  they  were  all  brought  to  Mangariva,  and  landed 


376  THE  MUTINEERS   OF  THE  BOUNTY. 

close  to  my  house,  where  nearly  all  the  people  of  the  island  assembled  to 
welcome  and  visit  them,  and  so  plied  them  with  bread-fruit  that  one  act- 
ually died  from  repletion,  and  several  others  would  have  shared  the  same 
fate  if  I  had  not  dosed  them  with  emetics  and  cathartics.  What  became 
of  them  after  I  left  I  never  heard,  but  was  told  that  most  of  them  pined 
for  their  coral  home. 

"With  sentiments  of  respect,  permit  me  to  subscribe  myself  your  much 
obliged  and  very  humble  servant, 

"  George  H.  Nobbs. 
"  Admiral  Sib  Faiefax  Moeesby,  G.C.B." 

Captain  Morshead  visited  the  Gambier  Islands  nearly 
twenty  years  subsequent  to  the  period  of  Mr.  Nobbs's  res- 
idence there.  He  gives  the  following  description  of  them, 
and  of  the  increase  of  French  influence : 

"H.M.S.  Dido,  Valparaiso,  December  15th,  1S53. 
"Not  having  seen  any  notice  of  these  islands  since  1826, 1  do  not  con- 
sider they  have  any  natural  advantages  as  a  watering-place  at  present ; 
but  as  water  is  abundant,  reservoirs  and  tanks  might  easily  be  constructed 
should  they  ever  become  a  rendezvous.  I  found  the  French  protectorate 
flag  flying  on  shore  and  five  French  families,  but  no  one  in  any  official 
capacity.  There  are  three  Komish  priests  on  the  island,  Father  Cyprian 
being  at  their  head,  who  holds  the  king  and  natives  in  the  most  perfect 
subjection,  both  temporal  and  spiritual.  There  are  several  stone-built 
houses  on  the  island,  and  a  handsome  Romish  church  two  hundred  feet 
long,  with  a  double  row  of  columns  inside,  and  capable  of  containing  a 
thousand  persons.  The  altar  is  chaste  and  beautiful,  formed  of  mother- 
of-pearl.  Upon  the  hill  on  the  south  side  of  Mount  Duff  is  a  cemetery, 
and  a  convent  containing  one  hundred  nuns  and  sixty  children,  whose  in- 
terval between  prayer  and  penance  is  filled  up  by  trundling  a  distaff,  and 
spinning  native  cotton  to  supply  a  factory  with  a  dozen  hand-looms  at 
work.  With  respect  to  supplies,  mountain  sheep,  goats,  hogs,  fowls,  and 
fish  can  be  procured.  Most  of  the  tropical  vegetables  grow,  tara  and 
pumpkin  being  principally  cultivated  ;  but  onions,  leeks,  carrots,  spinach, 
lettuces  and  cabbage,  with  a  few  European  potatoes,  are  cultivated  by  the 
French  families.  Of  fruits,  cocoa-nuts,  bananas,  bread-fruit,  and  pine- 
apples are  abundant,  and  very  fine  oranges  and  limes  are  scarce ;  the 
paupau  apple  and  fig  are  also  there.  Wood  for  building  and  firing  is 
scarce  and  bad,  the  bread-fruit  timber  being  principally  used. 


THE  QAMBIER  ISLANDS.  377 

"The  islands  produce  annually  about  four  hundred  tons  of  pearl-shells, 
and  pearls  about  equal  in  value  to  the  shells.  Nearly  every  native  had  a 
few  pearls  concealed  about  his  person,  and  rather  over-estimate  their  val- 
ue. There  were  several  large  collections  in  the  islands,  and  some  very  in- 
different, but  a  few  in  the  possession  of  the  king  were  magnificent.  The 
population  is  now  a  little  over  two  thousand,  an  epidemic  having  lately 
(according  to  Father  Cyprian)  swept  off  several  hundreds.  The  natives 
are  rather  a  good  specimen  of  the  Kanaka  (Polynesian)  race — tractable, 
hard-working,  and  expert  boatmen.  They  were  all  well  dressed,  and 
clothes,  cutlery,  tobacco,  and  soap  were  sought  after,  and  readily  taken 
in  exchange  for  supplies.  The  king  having  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the 
ship,  I  received  him  with  manned  yards  and  a  salute,  at  which  he  was  de- 
lighted ;  but  no  flag  was  hoisted,  not  being  aware  that  the  French  pro- 
tectorate is  either  claimed  or  acknowledged.  His  majesty  was  accom- 
panied by  the  priests,  and  is  a  fine-looking  man  about  the  middle  age,  and 
was  dressed  in  plain  European  costume.  He  has  a  mild  intelligent  coun- 
tenance, and  I  have  no  doubt  would  govern  his  subjects  and  develop  the 
resources  of  his  islands  equally  well  without  the  assistance  of  the  priests, 
but,  in  justice  to  those  reverend  gentlemen,  I  must  avow  I  found  them  ex- 
ceedingly useful." 


THE    END. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 
Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


A*  pUdu. 


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RECEIVED  APTO  DISC  CIRC   ,wft  0  5  '93 


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LD21A-50m-2,'71 
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